Malls, stadiums, and universities are actually liturgical structures that influence and shape our thoughts and affections. Humans — as Augustine noted — are “desiring agents,” full of longings and passions; in brief, we are what we love. James K. A. Smith focuses on the themes of liturgy and desire in Desiring the Kingdom, the first book in what will be a three-volume set on the theology of culture. He redirects our yearnings to focus on the greatest good: God. Ultimately, Smith seeks to re-vision education through the process and practice of worship. Students of philosophy, theology, worldview, and culture will welcome Desiring the Kingdom, as will those involved in ministry and other interested readers. ~ Product Description

Table of Contents

• • List of Sidebars and Figures 9
  • Preface 11
  • Acknowledgments 13
  • Introduction Beyond “Perspectives”: Faith and Learning Take Practice 17
• Pt. 1 Desiring, Imaginative Animals: We Are What We Love 37
  • 1 Homo Liturgicus: The Human Person as Lover 39
  • 2 Love Takes Practice: Liturgy, Formation, and Counter-formation 75
  • 3 Lovers in a Dangerous Time: Cultural Exegesis of “Secular” Liturgies 89
• Pt. 2 Desiring the Kingdom: The Practiced Shape of the Christian Life 131
  • 4 From Worship to Worldview: Christian Worship and the Formation of Desire 133
  • 5 Practicing (for) the Kingdom: An Exegesis of the Social Imaginary Embedded in Christian Worship 155
  • 6 A Christian University Is for Lovers: The Education of Desire 215
  • Name Index 231
  • Subject Index 235