Zachary B . Smith, PhD
Associate Professor

Contact
College of Arts and Sciences
Theology
DHHC - Dowling Hall/Humanities Center
Zachary B . Smith, PhD
Associate Professor
Department
Theology
Position
Associate Professor
Books
- Paulist Press
“Early Monastic Practices of Strategic Speech and Selective Silence to Limit Violence.” In Social Reconciliation in the Catholic Tradition. Ed. Jay Carney and Laurie Johnston. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, p. 62-81 2018 - Brepols Publishers
Philosopher-Monks, Episcopal Aughority, and the Care of the Self: The Apophthegmata Patrum in Fifth-Century Palestine. Instrumenta Patristica et Mediaevalia 80 (Turnhout, Bel.: Brepols Publishers, 2018) 2018 - Medieval Institute Publications (Western Michigan University)
The Reception and Use of Monastic Literature: Text Creation and Community Formation. Christianities Before Modernity Series. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications (Western Michigan University), forthcoming (under contract).
Articles
- Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
"In Memoriam: Memory and Imitation in Augustine and Athanasius." In Augustine in Christian Thought, Life and Practice. Ed. John O’Keefe and Michael Cameron. Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series 15., p. 212-26 2018 - Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
(with Ashley Young). "Jewish Identity and Religious Commitments in the American Midwest: Results of a Limited Study on Interfaith Upbringing." Religion and Globalization. Ed. Ronald A. Simkins and Zachary B. Smith. Journal of Religion & Society Supplement 16 (2018): 202-28
16, p. 202-28 2018 - Early Christianity
"Of Firstfruits and Social Fixtures: How Didache 13 Uses Torah to Reform Roman Patronage." Early Christianity 8.2 (2017): 251-68
8.2, p. 251-68 2017 - Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
"Monks and Empire: Asceticism and Political (Dis)Engagement in Late Antiquity." Religion and Politics. Ed. Ronald A. Simkins and Zachary B. Smith. Journal of Religion & Society Supplement 14 (2017): 14-27
14, p. 14-27 2017
Presentations
- "Apa Carion the 'Monk'?" Lived Religiousness in Antiquity Unit, Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, CA 2019
- "Self-Violence and Othering Violence: The Legacies of Christian Holiness." History of Christianity Unit, Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, San Diego, CA 2019
- "Truth, Texts, and Community Formation in the Early Byzantine and Medieval Periods." Symposium on Religion and Justice, The Kripke Center, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2019
- "Blinding Words: Legal Tests as a Potential Framework for Ascetic Scholarship." Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Denver, CO 2018
- "Authority, Dissent, and Social Formation in Late Antiquity." 31st Annual Symposium on Jewish Civilization, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2018
- "Contextualizing Cassian: A Challenge to Foucault’s View of Obedience in Monasticism." North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL 2018
- "Making Spaces for Making Men." "You Are Here" Interdisciplinary Conference, Department of English, Creighton University 2018
- "Foucault’s Monks: Reassessing Foucault’s View of Subjectivity and Authority." AAR/SBL Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 2018
- "Early Monastic Practices of Strategic Speech and Selective Silence to Limit Violence." Social Reconciliation in the Catholic Tradition Conference, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2017
- "Who’s Right, Which Rite, Why Write? Apophthegmata as Protreptic and Paraenetic." North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL 2017
- "Between Two Worlds: Being Raised Jewish and Interfaith in the American Midwest." Symposium on Religion in Global Context, The Kripke Center, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2017
- "Speech, Silence, and Violence: Healing and Harm in the Egyptian Desert." North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL 2016
- "In Memoriam: Memory and Imitation in Augustine and Athanasius." Symposium on Augustine in Christian Thought, Life, and Practice, The Kripke Center, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2016
- "Monks and Empire: Asceticism and Political Engagement in Late Antiquity." Symposium on Religion and Politics, The Kripke Center, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 2016
Other
Jewish Studies Research Grant
Faculty Research Support Grant
Course Adaptation Grant
Summer Faculty Research Fellowship