DESIRING THE KINGDOM IN MISSIONS: AN APPLICATION OF JAMES K. A. SMITH’S “LITURGICAL/ANTHROPOLOGY” IN A CROSS-CULTURAL CONTEXT

Abstract

What is the role of Christian worship in the formation of Christian disciples? Are humans primarily thinkers, or believers, or lovers? Is it possible that worship is not only the goal of missions but also the means of missions as well? James K. A. Smith, in Desiring the Kingdom, proposes a liturgical anthropology that seeks to address these questions. This article summarizes Smith’s theory as it relates to missions. Readers will then explore the implications of this theory of human formation through worship. Special attention is given to the cultivation of indigenous liturgy. The essay offers particular steps showing (1) how to evaluate where formation happens in a cross-cultural setting and (2) how Scripture has been used historically in worship to form disciples. Finally, the paper proposes guidelines for practicing and embodied Scripture in indigenous ways in worship.