Jonathan Z. Smith

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Jonathan Z. Smith
Smith, c. 2008
Born
Jonathan Zittell Smith

(1938-11-21)November 21, 1938
New York City, New York, US
DiedDecember 30, 2017(2017-12-30) (aged 79)
Academic background
Alma mater
ThesisThe Glory, Jest and Riddle (1969)
Influences
Academic work
DisciplineHistory
Sub-disciplineHistory of religion
InstitutionsUniversity of Chicago
InfluencedChristian K. Wedemeyer

Jonathan Zittell Smith (November 21, 1938 – December 30, 2017), also known as J. Z. Smith, was an American

Hellenistic religions, Māori cults in the 19th century, and the mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, as well as methodological studies on such common scholarly tools as description, comparison, and interpretation. An essayist, his works include Map Is Not Territory, Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown, To Take Place: Toward Theory in Ritual, Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity, Relating Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion, and a collection of his writings on pedagogy, On Teaching Religion.[2][3]

Life and career

Smith was born on November 21, 1938, in

UC Santa Barbara, he began teaching at the University of Chicago, where he served as Dean of the College from 1977 to 1982 and was appointed Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor of the Humanities.[2] He still held that position as of 2008, and remained active in undergraduate teaching at least as recently as the autumn quarter 2011, teaching the course titled "Introduction to Religious Studies". He was elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2000,[5] and served as president of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2008.[6]

While at the College of the University of Chicago Smith also wrote on pedagogy and the reform of undergraduate education in the United States. This emphasis on teaching also affected Smith's output in another way—up until that point, much of his written work began as lectures, and most of his publications were essays.[1] Smith's research focused on Western theories of difference ranging from contemporary accounts of alien abduction to Greek and Roman ideas about the way climate shapes human character.

Smith never used a computer. He typed or hand-wrote all of his papers. Furthermore, he despised the telephone and thought the cell phone was "an absolute abomination."[7]

Smith died of lung cancer on December 30, 2017.[8] He was survived by his wife Elaine, daughter Siobhan, and son Jason.[1] After the news of Smith's death was announced, scholars of religion soon began more explicitly to reflect on the effects of his writings and work. The blog of the UK-based quarterly, Bulletin for the Study of Religion began an ongoing series of posts, from international scholars, concerning what they understood themselves to have learned from Smith.[9]

Comparison of religions

Intellectually, Smith was influenced by

James Frazer's The Golden Bough and the method that Frazer used in the comparison of different religions. Later, much of Smith's work focused on the problem of comparison and how best to compare data taken from societies that are very different from one another. His most influential essay on this topic is perhaps "In Comparison a Magic Dwells".[11]

Books and selected works

References

  1. ^ a b c McCutcheon, Russell T. "In Memoriam: Jonathan Z. Smith (1938–2017)". Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Jonathan Z. Smith". Divinity School - The University of Chicago. Archived from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8264-4879-8
    .
  4. ^ a b Religion, American Academy of (23 February 2011). "Plenary Address: Jonathan Z. Smith" – via Vimeo.
  5. ^ "Book of Members - S" (PDF). American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Past Presidents List" (PDF). Society of Biblical Literature. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  7. ^ "Interview with J. Z. Smith". chicagomaroon.com.
  8. ^ Shimron, Yonat (January 2, 2018). "Religion Historian Jonathan Z. Smith Dies". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Clarity Media Group. Religion News Service. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  9. ^ "Something I Learned From J.Z. Smith". Bulletin for the Study of Religion. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  10. ISBN 978-0-304-70176-6
    . Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  11. ISBN 978-0-226-76360-6
    .

Further reading

External links
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President of the Society of Biblical Literature
2008 		Succeeded by
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