In this marvelous lecture, James K.A. Smith posits that all of life is both religious and liturgical. He sees the importance of ritual and patterns of life in the formation of the cultures in which we live. For him, “formative institutions” are those institutions that want to shape our identity by shaping what we love.

The Church, in its liturgical function, in its worship, is a culture that can reshape the broader culture by giving us a greater understanding the role of liturgy and ritual generally.

This lecture is a bit long – but well worth the time invested.

James K.A. Smith is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Adjunct Professor of Congregational and Ministry Studies at Calvin College and a notable figure in contemporary theology.

His work is undertaken at the borderlands between philosophy, theology, ethics, aesthetics, science, and politics. Informed by a long Augustinian tradition of theological cultural critique–from Augustine and Calvin to Edwards and Kuyper–his interests are in bringing critical thought to bear on the practices of the church and the church’s witness to culture.

He is the author of numerous books, including “The Devil Reads Derrida–And Other Essays on the University, the Church, Politics, and the Arts” and his most recently released “Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation.”