Christian Formation in a Secular Age

Two weeks from now, on February 12 and 13, the well-known philosopher and theologian James K. A. Smith will be in town. Jamie, who teaches philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., is a prolific author who has focused much attention on the nature of Christian engagement with culture as well as how the liturgy forms us as disciples.

While Jamie is with us, he will be giving a lecture entitled “Living in a Secular Age” on Thursday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m. The lecture will be held at Redemption Arcadia (4141 East Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018), and admission is free of charge.

On Friday, February 13, he will be leading a seminar on “Ministry in a Secular Age” at Fuller Southwest from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Space is limited for this event, and there is a $25 registration fee, which includes lunch and a copy of Jamie’s newest book. You can register for that event here.

Finally, that evening at 7:00 p.m., he will be speaking on “Christian Formation Through the Liturgy” at Christ Church. I’m especially excited about this, not only because we are hosting, but also because Jamie’s talk will be in the context of a worship service. We’ll begin with a standard Anglican liturgy, and I’ll pause along the way to explain what is happening. Jamie’s talk will essentially be the sermon. There will be a reception in the Parish Hall after the service.

If you are going to read anything by Jamie before he comes, I’ll recommend two books: First, How (Not) to be Secular, which engages the ideas of modern philosopher Charles Taylor, whose magisterial book A Secular Age redefined the conversation about the nature of our unique moment in time. Jamie’s Thursday night lecture and Friday seminar will focus on this important topic. Second, I’d recommendDesiring the Kingdom, which passionately argues that humans are, first and foremost, creatures who love, and that the goal of Christian formation is helping us become the kind of people who love and desire the right things. He suggests that Christian worship, expressed in historic liturgy of word and sacrament, has a central role in this formation.

For those who attend the seminar at Fuller, How (Not) to be Secular is included in the registration fee. Also, we’ll have copies of Desiring the Kingdom available for purchase at Christ Church for the next several Sundays.

To get a sense of who Jamie is and the kind of things he is passionate about, check out his website, and watch this video in which he discusses Imagining the Kingdom (the title of the follow-up to Desiring the Kingdom).

We are incredibly blessed to have a speaker of Jamie’s quality coming to Phoenix. Please spread the word about these events. You can “like” the event’s Facebook page here, and we’ll have promotional materials available soon.

Part of our mission is to “serve as a resource and actively partner with other Christ-centered churches and organizations, seeking to expand God’s kingdom in our city.” In this event we’re doing both of those things, and I’m excited about the blessings in store for our congregation, the churches in Phoenix, and, we pray, the Phoenix metro area, as a result.