Description
Book SynopsisThis volume presents an archive of remembrances of the person and the contributions of the late Jonathan Z. Smith (1938-2017). Section one collects previously unpublished papers from three separate recent scholarly panels (from the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the North American Association for the Study of Religion), in which a wide variety of scholars reflect on the impact Smith had on their own careers and the field at large. Section two includes revised versions of blog posts, many of which appeared shortly after news of Smith's death, in which scholars, journalists, and onetime students of Smith offer a more intimate and personal look at his legacy. The volume closes with the extended transcripts of seven interviews about Smith carried out with those who either trained or worked with him. Taken together, the volume documents the role Smith's work has played in the modern field while providing a basis for further considering the future direction of the field.
Table of ContentsPreface Emily D. Crews and Russell T. McCutcheon Introduction: Remembering Jonathan Z. Smith (1938-2017) Russell T. McCutcheon I. Essays AAR Panel Introduction Kathryn McClymond, Georgia State University The Poetics and Politics of Comparison: From Revolutionary Suicide to Mass Murder Hugh Urban, Ohio State University The Magus: Jonathan Z. Smith and “the Absolute Wonder of the Human Imagination” Kimberly Patton, Harvard University Citing Smith Kurtis R. Schaeffer, University of Virginia J. Z. Smith on Comparison: Insights and Appropriations Oliver Freiberger, University of Texas Wrestling with Angels and Heavy Books Eric D. Mortensen, Guilford College SBL Panel Introduction to the Society of Biblical Literature Wisdom of the Ages Panel Zev Garber, Los Angeles Valley College A Matter of Interest: In Memory of Jonathan Z. Smith Ron Cameron, Wesleyan University NAASR Panel Introduction Willi Braun, University of Alberta, and Russell McCutcheon Transformed Agendas: Generalism in the Work of Jonathan Z. Smith and the Study of Religion Stephanie Frank, Columbia College Chicago Jonathan Smith and the Necessary Double-Face Sam Gill, University of Colorado Remembering Jonathan Z. Smith: Some Personal Reflections James Tabor, University of North Carolina II. Blogs Jonathan Z. Smith: The College’s Iconoclastic, Beloved, Chainsmoking Dean Pete Grieve How I Failed J. Z. Smith Brett Colasacco The Positive Genealogy of J. Z. Smith Tenzan Eaghll, University of Toronto In the Laboratory of Taxonomy and Classification (When the Chips Were Really Down) Richard D. Hecht, University of California, Santa Barbara My Preliminary Journey through the World of J. Z. Smith Mitsutoshi Horii, Chaucer College On J. Z. Smith and the Remarkable Richard Newton, University of Alabama “It Ain’t Too High, and it Ain’t Too Theoretical” William O’Connor A Matter of Difference: On the Legacy of J. Z. Smith Matt Sheedy, University of Manitoba On Articulate Choice Vaia Touna, University of Alabama Jonathan Z Smith’s Gift Bruce Woll Significant, Significance, Signifier Ipsita Chatterjea III. Interviews Sam Gill, University of Colorado Amir Hussain, Loyola Marymount University Donald Wiebe, University of Toronto Carole Myscofski, Illinois Wesleyan University Christopher Lehrich, Boston University Eugene Gallagher Ron Cameron, Wesleyan University IV. Afterword Clues to a Great Mystery Emily D. Crews V. Appendix Academic Freedom and Academic Responsibility Jonathan Z. Smith
