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Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy
Anyone reading comments in online spaces is often confronted with a collective cultural loss of empathy. This profound loss is directly related to the inability to imagine the life and circumstances of the other. Our malnourished capacity for empathy is connected to an equally malnourished imagination. In order to truly love and welcome others, we need to exercise our imaginations, to see our neighbors more as God sees them than as confined by our own inadequate and ungracious labels. We need stories that can convict us about our own sins of omission or commission, enabling us to see the beautiful, complex world of our neighbors as we look beyond ourselves.
In this book, Mary McCampbell looks at how narrative art--whether literature, film, television, or popular music--expands our imaginations and, in so doing, emboldens our ability to love our neighbors as ourselves. The prophetic artists in these pages--Graham Greene, Toni Morrison, and Flannery O'Connor among them--show through the form and content of their narrative craft that in order to love, we must be able to effectively imagine the lives of others. But even though we have these rich opportunities to grow emotionally and spiritually, we have been culturally trained as consumers to treat our practice of reading, watching, and listening as mere acts of consumption.
McCampbell instead insists that truly engaging with artists who have the prophetic capacity to create art that wakes us up can jolt us from our typically self-concerned spiritual stupors. She focuses on narrative art as a means of embodiment and an invitation to participation, hospitality, and empathy. Reading, seeing, or listening to the story of someone seemingly different from us can awaken us to the very real spiritual similarities between human beings. The intentionality that it takes to surrender a bit of our own default self-centeredness is an act of spiritual formation. Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves presents a journey through initial self-reflection to a richer, more compassionate look outward, as narrative empowers us to exercise our imaginations for the sake of expanding our capacity for empathy.
In this book, Mary McCampbell looks at how narrative art--whether literature, film, television, or popular music--expands our imaginations and, in so doing, emboldens our ability to love our neighbors as ourselves. The prophetic artists in these pages--Graham Greene, Toni Morrison, and Flannery O'Connor among them--show through the form and content of their narrative craft that in order to love, we must be able to effectively imagine the lives of others. But even though we have these rich opportunities to grow emotionally and spiritually, we have been culturally trained as consumers to treat our practice of reading, watching, and listening as mere acts of consumption.
McCampbell instead insists that truly engaging with artists who have the prophetic capacity to create art that wakes us up can jolt us from our typically self-concerned spiritual stupors. She focuses on narrative art as a means of embodiment and an invitation to participation, hospitality, and empathy. Reading, seeing, or listening to the story of someone seemingly different from us can awaken us to the very real spiritual similarities between human beings. The intentionality that it takes to surrender a bit of our own default self-centeredness is an act of spiritual formation. Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves presents a journey through initial self-reflection to a richer, more compassionate look outward, as narrative empowers us to exercise our imaginations for the sake of expanding our capacity for empathy.
- GenresNonfictionArt
219 pages, Hardcover
Published April 19, 2022
11 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 5, 2022
Believing the best about others takes concerted effort. It feels nearly impossible, doesn’t it, in our polarized, cancel culture era of camps and tribes, denominations and sects? We need a new approach, and Mary McCampbell offers it in Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy. Pointing to many and various books, stories, films, and plays, Dr. McCampbell develops a framework for connecting meaningfully to the Others we all have: The family member who has become an ideological foe. The coworker who has become a religious enemy. The neighbor who has become our political nemesis. Dr. McCampbell helps us move beyond these categories by immersing us in powerful narratives—often with the Others at the center—to surprise us and reveal blind spots. “The decision to take time to read, watch, and listen to the stories of those who don’t fit our comfortable molds is a sacrificial act of love…. We must resist the comfort of familiarity and the lure of simple stereotypes, instead making space for childlike wonder and curiosity about the unknown other, made in God’s image.” (192) I especially appreciated Dr. McCampbell’s tender, passionate plea that we practice the way of Christ by seeking the Others in our world; and this is how we sow seeds that will one day produce the transformative love and belonging we are all so desperate for. In short: read this book!
March 13, 2022
Disclaimer: I was invited to read and review this book, in an effort to promote it in its early distribution. All of the following remarks are my own.
There's a lot to appreciate about McCampbell's book, which explores a wide array of novels, poems, films, TV series, and songs, searching for human characters for us to encounter and dignify. Taken as a guide through the media mass available at our fingertips, there were items that I know and love (Lewis's Till We Have Faces, Malick's The Tree of Life, Better Call Saul), some I've been meaning to get around to (PTA's Magnolia, The Hate U Give), and others that I had no awareness of and look forward to reading/watching (Thompson's Blankets). But the author's goals are certainly higher than a tour through thoughtful narratives; she argues that empathy is found in seeing, hearing, and knowing a person different from ourselves as portrayed through a fictional device and with artistic craft. Though I had minor quibbles with the delivery, the book's message is an excellent one and deserves wide readership and discussion in the Church.
There's a lot to appreciate about McCampbell's book, which explores a wide array of novels, poems, films, TV series, and songs, searching for human characters for us to encounter and dignify. Taken as a guide through the media mass available at our fingertips, there were items that I know and love (Lewis's Till We Have Faces, Malick's The Tree of Life, Better Call Saul), some I've been meaning to get around to (PTA's Magnolia, The Hate U Give), and others that I had no awareness of and look forward to reading/watching (Thompson's Blankets). But the author's goals are certainly higher than a tour through thoughtful narratives; she argues that empathy is found in seeing, hearing, and knowing a person different from ourselves as portrayed through a fictional device and with artistic craft. Though I had minor quibbles with the delivery, the book's message is an excellent one and deserves wide readership and discussion in the Church.
July 2, 2022
Full review here: https://dearstrangethings.substack.co...
May 1, 2022
That we need to practice and maintain more empathy in our society is obvious to anyone. That art of all kinds invites us to see people differently and engage with ideas in a new light is a mainstay of the humanities. That people who read fiction are, on avergae, more empathetic has been commonly understood for some time.
The main contribution that Mary McCampbell makes to these conversations is, I believe, the kind of art she chooses to highlight and explore: award-winning films, postmodern literature, binge-y TV dramas, and even graphic novels. Most of the academics who take pop culture seriously do so in order to study it as a sociological phenomenon; they end up studying culture rather than the works themselves.
We often dismiss modern media as either trash or at best frivolous entertainment. But McCampbell ably finds and shows the great value our current media can have, as well as its benefit. A work need not be "classic" to be worth engaging on its own terms or to have things to teach us. Ultimately, the accumulation of so many case studies gives a measure of hope: these empathetic, grace-filled stories are the ones our society wants to tell and enjoy right now. Clearly we want to be better neighbours, even if we've seemed to forget how.
Imagining Our Neighbors As Ourselves is a fine introduction for anyone seeking to understand both the stories we tell and the people we live beside.
The main contribution that Mary McCampbell makes to these conversations is, I believe, the kind of art she chooses to highlight and explore: award-winning films, postmodern literature, binge-y TV dramas, and even graphic novels. Most of the academics who take pop culture seriously do so in order to study it as a sociological phenomenon; they end up studying culture rather than the works themselves.
We often dismiss modern media as either trash or at best frivolous entertainment. But McCampbell ably finds and shows the great value our current media can have, as well as its benefit. A work need not be "classic" to be worth engaging on its own terms or to have things to teach us. Ultimately, the accumulation of so many case studies gives a measure of hope: these empathetic, grace-filled stories are the ones our society wants to tell and enjoy right now. Clearly we want to be better neighbours, even if we've seemed to forget how.
Imagining Our Neighbors As Ourselves is a fine introduction for anyone seeking to understand both the stories we tell and the people we live beside.
May 15, 2022
Mary McCampbell is like that friend who you can always depend on for a good recommendation. Whether you are looking for something to read, watch, or listen to, she has you covered. The majority of this book provides us with mini reflections on a number of different pieces of pop culture, and while each analysis is insightful in its own right, the book really shines when it points us back to its central theme. McCampbell shows us that stories are not just entertaining but they also insist we participate in realities that are not our own, engaging our imaginations, and helping us to understand the world around us.
The book is also a treasure trove of unique narratives and varied forms of storytelling. It's great to have this kind of reflective voice discussing works like Lars and the Real Girl, Better Call Saul, Sufjan Stevens, and the novels of Douglas Coupland as a few examples. This book has given me a conversation partner for some of the art I already love, and the language and the lens to see how this art can be the first step in shaping my empathy.
The book is also a treasure trove of unique narratives and varied forms of storytelling. It's great to have this kind of reflective voice discussing works like Lars and the Real Girl, Better Call Saul, Sufjan Stevens, and the novels of Douglas Coupland as a few examples. This book has given me a conversation partner for some of the art I already love, and the language and the lens to see how this art can be the first step in shaping my empathy.
September 14, 2022
As I write this, I’m less than twenty pages in, but already McCampbell has won me over. Let’s just say that Graham Greene’s “whiskey priest” makes an appearance on the very first page; an auspicious start to any book, if you ask me.
Empathy, as McCampbell defines it, means entering into another’s pain. (As opposed to sympathy, which gives us the luxury of looking down on people we can’t be bothered to understand.) Her claim in this book, as I understand it so far, is that works of art like books, movies, and music can expand our imaginations and help us love our neighbors.
Can, not will. It’s never automatic; empathy requires cultivation. It takes practice. You don’t need me to remind you that the Nazis had loads of great art—novels on their bookshelves, symphonies in concert halls—and none of that stopped them from doing Nazi things.
In the literature classes McCampbell teaches at Lee University, she is careful to remind her students that “the authors of the books we are reading—whether the books were written in 1603 or 1994—are human beings created in God’s image. These image bearers have something important to say to us, and if we submit ourselves to their voices, we will have the privilege of seeing life through their eyes.”
The privilege of seeing life through the eyes of another. What a gift indeed!
“Good art challenges us into having eyes to see our neighbors, and many times, these neighbors look, speak, and live very differently than we do,” she writes. “Sometimes they might even be considered our enemies.”
Empathy, as McCampbell defines it, means entering into another’s pain. (As opposed to sympathy, which gives us the luxury of looking down on people we can’t be bothered to understand.) Her claim in this book, as I understand it so far, is that works of art like books, movies, and music can expand our imaginations and help us love our neighbors.
Can, not will. It’s never automatic; empathy requires cultivation. It takes practice. You don’t need me to remind you that the Nazis had loads of great art—novels on their bookshelves, symphonies in concert halls—and none of that stopped them from doing Nazi things.
In the literature classes McCampbell teaches at Lee University, she is careful to remind her students that “the authors of the books we are reading—whether the books were written in 1603 or 1994—are human beings created in God’s image. These image bearers have something important to say to us, and if we submit ourselves to their voices, we will have the privilege of seeing life through their eyes.”
The privilege of seeing life through the eyes of another. What a gift indeed!
“Good art challenges us into having eyes to see our neighbors, and many times, these neighbors look, speak, and live very differently than we do,” she writes. “Sometimes they might even be considered our enemies.”
December 23, 2022
I so appreciate Mary's heart to "begin to discern the spiritual 'kinship' between image bearers". She says we can do this "as we read, watch, or listen to the story of another" (14). I love the ideas in this book and how it describes ways we are all connected, and we can "work to understand the commonalities of our collective natures" (44). In a polarizing time in history, "Imagining our Neighbors as Ourselves" gives us another way to live, a way where we see our humanity in one another to become a better collective, and ultimately create change we desperately need. Highly recommend this read.
Want to read
September 10, 2021Haven't been able to dig into this masterpiece yet, but really looking forward to it when I can. Prof. McCampbell is nothing if not incredibly adept at building connections between culture, art, ideas and the human spirit. I look forward to this book as its topic is, sadly, urgently relevant in a culture that increasingly is seeing a decline in empathy in the public square.
August 28, 2022
This book deserves 10 stars.
January 19, 2023
I was surprised how little I liked this book. I picked it up as it got rave reviews from folks whose reading tastes I respect, but it just didn't work for me. Which is not to say I don't agree with the book's thesis, which is actually something I feel quite committed to (reading novels has been a door to much wisdom and empathy for me). The structure of the book, with its long analyses of specific works, just didn't work for me. I did, however, learn about a few pieces of art which I would like to interact with.
May 24, 2022
4.5 stars. I took my time with this one. The author takes multiple books, short stories, movies, songs, and video series to walk through-specifically outlining plots/characters and how the reader/watcher/listener can empathize with them, or how the characters show it in their specific place. I’ve added to my “to read” and “to watch” list. The author continually brings back all of these examples to us as Christians, and Christ throughout. Christ was/is the ultimate example of empathy by taking on human form and experiencing humanity and all of its temptations. In this current culture, as Christians, we are in a daily battle to show empathy-it’s too easy to fall into us vs them camp, I think the author points out well why we need to be intentional about doing it, as God’s command to love our neighbor demands it. This author simply walks us through different works that can help us build empathy for those we come across in real life.
March 6, 2024
Mary does an incredible job of using examples of literature and film to teach us HOW to grow in EMPATHY for our neighbors, for those who are different from us. Without this work, I don’t think I would be conscious of how works of art naturally do this without us realizing it. Her examples are convicting and compassionate. It is a book I will read and read again bc it is so deep and insightful (and it makes me want to read or watch the works she mentions that I’ve never seen!). This is a work we need in the world right now bc it reminds us that at the very core, we are all human and not all that different after all.
May 3, 2023
When pop Christian culture points people toward "safe for the whole family" sentiment, it starves us of the ability to learn more fully what it is to be human. McCampbell uses books, music, and film to invite us into often-uncomfortable spaces to help us discover the shape of empathy, which flows from the heart of God. She is an apt guide, and her analysis will help me think more deeply about the messaging of the works I consume.
September 1, 2023
As a clinical social worker and a lover of art I appreciate how Dr McCampbell brings together the beauty of human emotion, particularly that of empathy, in its various manifestations of story, film and other art forms. I would enjoy studying this book, Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves in a group setting with others and perhaps a gifted teacher/facilitator. What a great way to teach empathy! A much needed emotion, always, but especially in today's culture.
November 5, 2022
One of the most insightful, theologically creative and even moving books I've encountered about the intersection of the arts and faith. McCampbell's book did exactly what it should--made me rethink how I view my neighbors and add a number of new books and movies to my Amazon queue.
February 25, 2023
This wasn't what I expected, and I didn't particularly enjoy it. But it DID inspire me to finally get around to watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which was wonderful, so I appreciate it for that.
May 13, 2023
McCampbell has written a deeply insightful book about the way that art (especially narrative in movies, music, and books) can shape our empathy! I love her end goal: to shape our imagination toward empathy as we read/watch.
March 21, 2023
An academic look at empathy through the arts (which is just sometimes perfect).
November 1, 2024
Excellent book, full or truth, great combination between literature and Christian empathy
November 10, 2024
A thoughtful (and convicting) essay about human dignity and the arts. Excellent.
May 24, 2023
I love the whole concept, laid out so accessibly in the introduction, of seeing people as 'image-bearers' of God and therefore urging us to see all others with more empathy. Mary McCampbell then takes us through various texts: from Coleridge to modern TV shows to display how they can enable us to empathise and therefore have compassion on others. Although I didn't know a lot of the texts, esp American shows, I really love the urgency of the desire to understand and therefore love people different to ourselves and the role the arts has in doing that. So easy to read as she explores texts with insight.
*For transparency: I was given a proof edition as I know the writer. I haven't read all the chapters yet either...
*For transparency: I was given a proof edition as I know the writer. I haven't read all the chapters yet either...
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews