Abstract
This chapter cites the Carlos M. N. Eire's counterfactual history on the death of Jesus after escaping crucifixion, which reveals the important links between counterfactual history and imagination. The counterfactual detour allows one to disentangle the interrelationship between a nascent belief, a dogma, events, a religious institution and a geopolitical situation. It points out how the process may produce extravagances or useless fantasies, which may even be prejudicial to historical understanding. The chapter considers the imagination as a key element of historical analysis and not an enemy of the examination of the past. It explores the type of imagination proposed by counterfactual history, including what difficulties it poses and under what conditions it might be useful.
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