As part of his Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Ministry to Emerging Generations (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), Tom’s written a number of book responses and given several short presentations (personal and group). In this series he not only “shares the wealth,” but also looks forward to your feedback as he refines his project: An argument for vocational discernment for graduate studies in the context of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (Stay tuned to learn more!). Earlier posts on the program: Ministry to Emerging Generations and The Big Picture of Ministry to Emerging Generations.
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation
In Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), James K.A. Smith hits the mark in “communicat[ing] to students (and faculty) a vision of what authentic, integral Christian learning looks like, emphasizing how learning is connected to worship and how, together, these constitute practices of formation and discipleship” (11). I have longed for a “cultural theory†“to push down through worldview to worship as the matrix from which a Christian worldview is born—and to consider what that means for the task of Christian education and the shape of Christian worship†(35, 11). Although only loosely connected with the Reformed tradition at present, what a joy to consider “the Reformed tradition as an Augustinian renewal movement within the church catholic,†one in which education isn’t “first and foremost about what we know, but about what we love†(14).
[Read more…] about Book Response: Desiring the Kingdom, by James K. A. Smith