Justin Ariel Bailey

Justin Ariel Bailey is dean of chapel and professor of theology at Dordt University. He is the author of Discipling the Diseased Imagination (Baker, 2026), Interpreting Your World (Baker, 2022), and is the author of Reimagining Apologetics (IVP, 2020). He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church, and he has served as a pastor in Filipino-American, Korean-American, and Anglo-American settings.

Fuller Theological Seminary

PhD in Theology, 2017
Concentration: Theology and Culture

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Master of Theology, 2013
Master of Divinity, Summa Cum Laude, 2007

Moody Bible Institute

Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics, 2002

Dean of Chapel

Dordt University, 2025-Present

Professor of Theology

Dordt University, 2024-Present

Associate Professor of Theology

Dordt University, 2021-2024

Assistant Professor of Theology

Dordt University, 2017-2021

Adjunct Instructor of Theology

Fuller Theological Seminary, 2016

Books:

• Discipling the Diseased Imagination: Spiritual Formation and the Healing of our Hearts. Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2026.
• Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses for Engaging Theology and Culture. Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2022.
• Reimagining Apologetics: The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020.

Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters and Articles:

• “MacDonald’s Theology,” in The Cambridge Companion to George Macdonald. Cambridge University Press, 2026. [forthcoming]
• “The Spirit as Breadth: Blk Halos and a Spacious Place” Co-authored with Phil Allen Jr. in Naming the Spirit: Pneumatology through the Arts. IVP Academic, 2025.
• “The Mercy Seat: An Artistic Grammar for Substitutionary Atonement.” Co-authored with David Westfall. Spiritus, 2024.
•  “The Impact of Social Media” in Hak Joon Lee and Timothy A. Dearborn, eds. Discerning Ethics: Diverse Responses to Divisive Issues. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020.
• “The Theodramatic Imagination.” International Journal of Public Theology: 12 (2018), 455–470
• “The Body in Cyberspace: Lanier, Merleau-Ponty, and the Norms of Embodiment” Christian Scholars Review 45, no. 3 (2016): 211-228. ***Awarded the Charles J. Miller award for most outstanding article in volume 45***
• “Welcome to the Blogosphere,” in Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends.
  Eds. Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Charles Anderson, & Michael Sleasman. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.

Other Publications:

• Articles and my quarterly “Big Questions” column for The Banner 
• “One Machine to Rule Them All,” Christianity Today, September 2025.
• “The Reformed Reasoning Behind Think Christian,” Think Christian, November 5, 2024.
• “The Medicine of Humility for Pastor-Theologians,” Bulletin of Ecclesial Theology. Spring 2024.
• “Silence or Sermon? The Desperation and Dread of Telling the Truth,” Buechner Review, March 2024.
• “Everyday Imaginative Apologetics: A Case Study,” NAMB Apologetics. November 6, 2023.
• “Engaging Imaginations: C.S. Lewis and the Need for Stronger Spells,” NAMB Apologetics. October 30, 2023.
• “The Gospel is Greater Than Its Greatest Proclaimers,” Christianity Today. September 11, 2023.
• “Irrigating Imaginations: The Centrality of Beauty for Culture Care.” Society for Classical Learning. May 11, 2023
• “The Evangelical Bubble Needs a Doorway.” Christianity Today. November 2, 2022.
• “Playing the Cultural Long Game: Interview with Chris Reese.” Christianity Today. August 22, 2022.
• “Doubt Be Not Proud.” Christianity Today. August 17, 2022.
• “When Our Best Words Fail.” Fare Forward. March 31, 2021.
• “Apologetics Can Flourish After RZIM. But Only With ‘Lowercase Leaders’ and the Local Church.” Christianity Today. March 15, 2021
• “Is Our World Less Religious Than Ever?” The Banner. February 22, 2021.
• “On Insiders and Outsiders.” The Banner. February 15, 2021.
• “Deep Focus and Cinematic Faith: An Extended Review.” Christian Scholars Review 49, no. 3 (2020): 301-309.
• “Exercising the Imagination: Why We Need Imaginative Apologetics.” The Worldview Bulletin. November 27, 2020.
• “Defense and Discernment: Bearing Witness in Suspicious Times.” Reformed Journal. June 18, 2020.
• “The Wisdom of Weakness: The Coronavirus and the Cross” Pro Rege: Vol. 49: No. 1, 2 – 5.
• “Pagans, Puritans, and Putting Christ Back in Christmas.” The Banner. Grand Rapids, MI. December 2, 2019.
• “In Search of Stronger Spells.” Inheritance Magazine, Volume 53. Los Angeles, CA, 2017.
• “Braving the New World (Wide Web): Mapping Theological Approaches to Media” God and Nature Magazine. American Scientific Affiliation, Fall 2015.

Presentations:

• “Costly Hope” and “Reimagining Apologetics” Sermon + Workshop for Beeson Preaching Conference. Beeson Divinity School. Birmingham, AL. July 15-17.

• “Lenses for Engaging Theology and Culture” Blackstone Fellows program for the Alliance Defending Freedom. Washington, D.C. June 7-9.

• “Interpreting Our World.” Grace Academy. Workshop + Commencement Address. Austin, TX. May 15-17, 2025.

• “Healing the Eyes of the Heart.” Dotson M. Nelson Lectures. Samford University. Birmingham, AL. April 3, 2025.

• “Presence is the Basis of Courage.” Lead Like Us Conference. March 24, 2025. Chicago, IL.

• “Safe and Brave.” Converge Conference. February 24, 2025. Orlando, FL (plenary address)

• “‘Great Souled & Hard Hearted’: Holy Imagination and Epistemic Restraint.” Yale Conference on George MacDonald. Yale University. December 13-14, 2024.

• “Beauty & Hope.” Heartland Administrative Team Event. November 13, 2024.

• “Magnetic Questions and Capacious Curiosity.” Kuyers/INCHE/De Vries Conference. October 10–12, 2024. (plenary address)

• “Here is the World.” Trinity Classical Academy. Commencement Address. Raleigh, NC. May 25, 2024.

• “A Critical Question.” Covenant Classical School. Commencement Address. Fort Worth, TX. May 15. 2024.
• “Modes, Lenses, and Postures for Interpreting Your World” Staley Lecture at Stony Brook School. March 19. 2024.
• “Beauty and Hope.” InspirED Conference. Vancouver, B.C. November 8-9, 2023 (plenary address)
• “Sowing in Hope: Generative and Generational Education.” Society for Classical Learning Summer Conference. Dallas, TX. June 14-17, 2023. (plenary address)
• “Being Safe and Being Brave.” Veritas School. Commencement Address. Richmond, VA. June 2, 2023.
• “The World’s Deep Hunger.” Colson Center National Conference. Worldview Intensive. Indianapolis, IN. May 19, 2023.
• “Christ and Culture.” Resolved Conference. Salt Lake City, UT. April 1, 2023.
• “Interpreting Your World.” Jubilee Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. February 18, 2023.
• “Training for Transcendence.” Hope College/Western Seminary Symposium. November 11, 2022.
• “The Medicine of Humility for Pastor Theologians.” Center for Pastor Theologian’s – St. Anselm’s Cohort. October 3-5, 2022.
• “Reimagining Apologetics.” Alliance Youth Conference. July 5-6, 2022.
• “Beauty and Belief: The Apologetics of Culture Care.” Society for Classical Learning Summer Conference. Dallas, TX. June 15-18, 2022. (plenary address)
• “Interpreting, Fast and Slow: Faith, Love, and Hope for Christian Education.” CACE Engage Conference. Washington, D.C. October 27-28, 2021. (plenary address)
• “Vitality, Virality, and Vulnerability: Christianity and Culture as Ecosystems of Meaning.” Areopagus Forum at Iowa State University. Ames, IA. November 7, 2021.
• “The Apologetics of Hope: Reimagining Apologetics in Secular Societies.” Neo-Calvinism and Europe: Fifth European Conference on Neo-Calvinism. Leuven, Belgium. August 29-31, 2018.
• “The Shock of Revelatory Perception: Marilynne Robinson as Imaginative Apologist.” Culture Care Conference. Pasadena, California. February 8, 2017.
• “Poetic Participation: Owen Barfield, Poetic Diction, and the Rediscovery Of Meaning.” Arts + The Inklings: 2016 Verge Conference at Trinity Western University. Langley, British Columbia. September 28-30, 2016.
• “Revelation Lite? Reimagining General Revelation for Inter-religious Dialogue.” Another Religion? Neo-Calvinism and Islam: Fourth European Neo-Calvinism Conference. Kampen, The Netherlands. August 25-26, 2016.
• “Can Non-Artists Be Imaginative, Too? George MacDonald, Imagination, and Virtue.” Brehm Center Colloquium. Pasadena: Fuller Seminary. May 20, 2015.
• “Discerning the Body in Cyberspace: Jaron Lanier, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Contested Personhood.” Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion. San Diego, CA. November 22, 2014.
• “What Role Does the Body Play Online?” Brehm Center Colloquium. Pasadena: Fuller Seminary. April 4, 2014.
• “Gnadenstuhl: A Forgotten Resource for Substitutionary Atonement?” Creating Expressions of the Sacred: Seventh Annual Religions in Conversation Conference. Claremont Graduate University. February 21-22, 2014.
• “Have Ye Then No Hope? Tolkien on Doom, Death and Despair.” Celebrating the Hobbit: Valparaiso Conference on Tolkien and His Works, Valparaiso, Indiana. March 1-3, 2013.

Pulpit Supply/Interim Preacher

Classis Iakota, 2017-2022

Assistant Pastor for Teaching and Discipleship

Grace Pasadena, 2013-2017

Community Coordinator

Madison Square Intentional Community, 2014-2016

Youth Pastor/Pastor for English Speaking Ministries

Antioch Bible Church, 2006-2013

Youth Minister

Christ Our Savior Church, 2002-2005

Summer Missions Intern

Siberian Missions, 2000, 2002