Calvin College professor of philosophy James K.A. Smith will deliver the prestigious "New College Lectures" at the University of New South Wales in Australia later this month.
On May 23rd and 24th, Smith will provide a foretaste of the book he just finished, "Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works," (a sequel to "Desiring the Kingdom," which won the 2010 'Christianity Today' Book Award).
"My core theme is the importance of imagination in Christian education and formation," said Smith, "that we imagine the world before we 'think' about it. This is why I suggest Christian education needs to be rooted in worship." The lectures further develop his argument that human beings are primarily lovers, not just thinkers. "And our loves and desires are primed by our imagination," he adds. "Liturgies tell a story that sinks into our bones and drives our action."
Smith will deliver three lectures that intertwine philosophy, theology and cultural analysis--using films like "The King's Speech" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" to illustrate difficult concepts in French philosophers Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Pierre Bourdieu. His final lecture will be the plenary address for a conference of Christian educators in Anglican schools across Australia.
The "New College Lectures" has a rich history. In 1986, the college set up a Trust to conduct an annual series of public lectures. Each lecturer then takes up some important issue or aspect of contemporary society and comments on it from the standpoint of their Christian faith and professional expertise.
For Smith, joining this 26-year tradition is a privilege.
"Past lecturers include some philosophers and theologians that I have been influenced by--people like Stanley Hauerwas, Jeremy Begbie, Oliver O'Donovan and Elaine Stokley," said Smith. "It's an honor to now be part of that tradition."
For more information on the New College Lectures visit http://www.newcollege.unsw.edu.au/sydney/new-college-lectures-1
Contact Smith at 616-526-6419 or jks4@calvin.edu
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Received on Fri May 11 09:45:11 2012
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