Invisible Companions by J Bradley Wigger
Based on interviews conducted with children around the world, this book explores the wild territory of children's imaginations and the religious significance of our profoundly social minds, which make possible relationships with the seen and unseen alike.
"Brad Wigger took the time to shed his professorial skin, entering with empathy into the world of children who trusted him enough to reveal themselvesHe's now returned from their world to make the invisible visible. Read this book to open your eyes—wide!" -- Jerome Berryman * Godly Play Foundation *
"Brad Wigger's artful mix of storytelling and new research captivates the imagination, drawing us into his own journey of discovery. One of the best reads I have enjoyed for some time, his delightful book shares valuable reflections on human uniqueness, early childhood development, and the origins of religion." -- Justin Barrett * Fuller Theological Seminary *
"In this captivating book, Brad Wigger's intriguing research on young children's imaginary friends leads us into deep consideration of our remarkable human capacity for social imagination. Whether your primary interest is child development, the cognitive foundations of religion, or human nature itself, you will find much to think about here." -- Peter Gray * author of Free to Learn *
"Theologian J. Bradley Wigger interviewed hundreds of children from diverse cultures and found evidence of imaginary friends wherever he looked. His wonderful book documents his quest to understand how these imaginary friends fit into the larger worlds of invisible beings." -- Marjorie Taylor * author of Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them *
"Its riveting stories of children and adults aside, this engaging book is ultimately a work of theology that poses a profound question: Is God just another imaginary friend? And, if not, what is the difference?" -- Robert Wuthnow * author of The Left Behind *
"[A] charming, insightful, generally persuasive book....The fruits of children's relationships to their invisible friends, as Wigger convincingly presents them, are uncommonly sweet. For that sweetness alone, his book is worth the reading." -- David J. Halperin * Society for Psychical Research *
"J. Bradley Wigger challenges us to keep an open mind when it comes to friends that we cannot see. This eloquent book...poses that by having a clearer understanding the imagined world, we have a better grasp on reality." -- Mike Findlay * Psychreg *
"Brad Wigger's artful mix of storytelling and new research captivates the imagination, drawing us into his own journey of discovery. One of the best reads I have enjoyed for some time, his delightful book shares valuable reflections on human uniqueness, early childhood development, and the origins of religion." -- Justin Barrett * Fuller Theological Seminary *
"In this captivating book, Brad Wigger's intriguing research on young children's imaginary friends leads us into deep consideration of our remarkable human capacity for social imagination. Whether your primary interest is child development, the cognitive foundations of religion, or human nature itself, you will find much to think about here." -- Peter Gray * author of Free to Learn *
"Theologian J. Bradley Wigger interviewed hundreds of children from diverse cultures and found evidence of imaginary friends wherever he looked. His wonderful book documents his quest to understand how these imaginary friends fit into the larger worlds of invisible beings." -- Marjorie Taylor * author of Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them *
"Its riveting stories of children and adults aside, this engaging book is ultimately a work of theology that poses a profound question: Is God just another imaginary friend? And, if not, what is the difference?" -- Robert Wuthnow * author of The Left Behind *
"[A] charming, insightful, generally persuasive book....The fruits of children's relationships to their invisible friends, as Wigger convincingly presents them, are uncommonly sweet. For that sweetness alone, his book is worth the reading." -- David J. Halperin * Society for Psychical Research *
"J. Bradley Wigger challenges us to keep an open mind when it comes to friends that we cannot see. This eloquent book...poses that by having a clearer understanding the imagined world, we have a better grasp on reality." -- Mike Findlay * Psychreg *
J. Bradley Wigger teaches religious education and childhood studies at Louisville Seminary. An ordained Presbyterian minister and a recent Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology, Dr. Wigger has served churches in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Mexico. His most recent publications are the picture book for children, Thank You, God (2014), and Original Knowing: How Religion, Science, and the Human Mind Point to the Irreducible Depth of Life (2012).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781503609112 |
| ISBN 10 | 1503609111 |
| Title | Invisible Companions |
| Author | J Bradley Wigger |
| Series | Spiritual Phenomena |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Stanford University Press |
| Year published | 2019-07-23 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |