James K. A. Smith (original) (raw)

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Canadian-American philosopher (born 1970)

James K. A. Smith
Smith on Rebel Wisdom in 2019
Born James Kenneth Alexander Smith (1970-10-09) October 9, 1970 (age 54)Embro, Ontario, Canada
Nationality CanadianAmerican
Academic background
Alma mater Emmaus Bible CollegeInstitute for Christian StudiesVillanova University
Thesis How to Avoid Not Speaking[1] (1999)
Doctoral advisor John D. Caputo
Other advisors James Olthuis
Influences Augustine of Hippo John Calvin Abraham Kuyper John Milbank[2] Oliver O'Donovan[3] Catherine Pickstock[2] Alvin Plantinga[4][5] Calvin Seerveld Charles Taylor[5]
Academic work
Discipline Philosophy
School or tradition Continental philosophypostmodern Christianityreformational philosophy[_citation needed_]
Institutions Loyola Marymount UniversityCalvin University
Main interests Hermeneuticsphilosophical theologyphilosophy of social sciencesecularity
Website jameskasmith.com Edit this at Wikidata

James Kenneth Alexander Smith (born 1970) is a Canadian-American[4] philosopher who is currently Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University, holding the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology & Worldview. He is the current editor-in-chief of the literary journal Image.[6]

Early life and education

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Smith was born on October 9, 1970,[7] in Embro, Ontario.[8] He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo and Emmaus Bible College. He earned a Master of Philosophy degree in philosophical theology in 1995 at the Institute for Christian Studies[8] where he studied under James Olthuis.[9] He went on to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1999 from Villanova University[8] where he was advised by John D. Caputo.[9][10] After teaching for a short time at Loyola Marymount University, Smith accepted his current position at Calvin University.

He currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum.

Smith's scholarly work is undertaken at the interface between philosophy, theology, ethics, aesthetics, science, and politics.[_citation needed_] It draws from continental philosophy and is informed by a long Augustinian tradition of theological cultural critique, from Augustine of Hippo and John Calvin to Jonathan Edwards and Abraham Kuyper.[_citation needed_] As of this date,[_when?_] his stated interest is in bringing critical thought to bear on the practices of the church and the church's witness to culture, culminating in the need to interpret and understand what he has called "cultural liturgies".[_This quote needs a citation_][11][_third-party source needed_]

As a former[_when?_] proponent of radical orthodoxy, Smith's claim is that it is actually theology or, more specifically, the story told by the church that is capable of modernism.[_citation needed_] His popular-level work aims to educate evangelicals regarding postmodernism and radical orthodoxy.[_citation needed_] Though he is critical of the emergent church movement, he is at the same time sympathetic to much that could be described as part of that movement.[12][_page needed_][_third-party source needed_] A primary concern in his work is to expose certain [_which?_] postmodern philosophical claims (and certain [_which?_] ecclesial attempts to work with them) as not actually postmodern enough, pointing out instead that they too have accepted the agenda set by the enlightenment.[_citation needed_] This is seen in his warnings that the emergent tendency away from historic ecclesial tradition is a grave mistake, and that putting down roots, committing to a community for the long haul, and engaging the deep discourses within historic Christian orthodoxy are in fact the truly post- or counter-modern practices for the church today.[_citation needed_]

Given his training in continental philosophy and in the theology of the Reformed and Pentecostal traditions, his intellectual interests are a natural fit.[_editorializing_][_why?_] Smith's research topics range from the continental philosophy of religion to urban altruism to the relationship between science and theology.[_citation needed_]

  1. ^ Smith, James K. A. (1999). How to Avoid Not Speaking: On the Phenomenological Possibility of Theology (PhD thesis). Villanova, Pennsylvania: Villanova University. OCLC 42523029.
  2. ^ a b Smith, James K. A. (December 17, 2015). "Christmas, 2015: Dr. James K.A. Smith". The Anglican Planet. Interviewed by Careless, Sue. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  3. ^ Leeman, Jonathan (January 5, 2018). "Doing Political Theology, Waiting for King Jesus". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Gilger, Patrick (October 18, 2018). "James K. A. Smith's Theological Journey". America. New York. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Marty, Martin E. (November 12, 2018). "James K.A. Smith's 'Cultural Liturgies'". Sightings. Chicago: University of Chicago. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  6. ^ "Editorial Announcement - Image Journal".
  7. ^ "Smith, James K. A., 1970- - LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies | Library of Congress, from LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies (Library of Congress)".
  8. ^ a b c "James K.A. Smith". Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Smith, James K. A. (2005). Jacques Derrida: Live Theory. London: Continuum. p. xiii. ISBN 978-0-8264-6280-0.
  10. ^ Hankey, Wayne J.; Hedley, Douglas, eds. (2005). "Introduction". Deconstructing Radical Orthodoxy: Postmodern Theology, Rhetoric and Truth (PDF). Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Smith, James, K.A. "Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation". January Series at Calvin College. Calvin College. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2011.{{[cite web](/wiki/Template:Cite%5Fweb "Template:Cite web")}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Smith, James. K. A. (2006). Who's Afraid of Postmodernism: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church (2nd ed.). Baker Academic. ISBN 978-0801029189.[_page needed_]