\u201cWe all operate according to our deepest desires.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cWhat if, instead of starting from the assumption that human beings are thinking things, we started from the conviction that humans are first and foremost, lovers?\u201d says Smith. At the crux of Smith\u2019s argument is the notion that human beings are defined by their hearts rather than their heads: we are what we love.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all operate according to our deepest desires,\u201d asserts Smith. \u201cTo be human is to be a liturgical animal, a creature whose loves are shaped by worship.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cultural practices are embodied forms of worship, sometimes taking the form of rival stories, they offer us rival kingdoms rather than the kingdom of God. Smith used the example of shopping malls and consumerism\u2014a predominant narrative in Western society\u2014as a case study, attempting to \u201cread\u201d its liturgies.<\/p>\n
Rather than confess our sins, the gospel of consumerism encourages us to consume in order to create our own happiness. It tells us to tell ourselves that goods and services will save us. Malls are also used as community gathering places. The similarities with church are not coincidental. \u201cThe liturgy of consumption births in us a desire for a way of life that we can\u2019t feasibly extend to others,\u201d states Smith.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Smith urged the audience to take a \u201cliturgical audit\u201d of their lives, challenging Christians to pause to reflect on the rituals and rhythms in their lives.<\/p>\n
Smith’s keynote was part of the Redeemer Centre for Christian Scholarship’s annual fall conference. Hosted by the Centre, three Christian thinkers dug into faith in the digital age. Read more<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dr. James K. A. 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