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January 01, 1970

Mitzi J. Smith

About Mitzi J. Smith

Dr. Smith is interested in close critical readings of sacred texts that attend to justice issues, the perspective and presence of the marginalized and silenced ‘other,’ and the intersection of race, gender, class, sexuality, and religion. She is an expert in womanist and African American biblical interpretation. Smith views her research and teaching as a means of conscientization and social justice activism. Her other foci are ancient and modern slavery and language studies. Smith’s most recent books are Toward Decentering the New Testament: A Reintroduction (Cascade 2018) co-authored with Yung Suk Kim and Womanist Sass and Talk Back: Social (In)Justice, Intersectionality, and Biblical Interpretation (Cascade 2018). She is currently writing a womanist reading of the parables of Jesus (Lexington Books).

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Comments

  1. Thanks for the suggestions. Students can also advocate that when considering new professors thought and merit given to those of different social and racial locations. At George Fox Seminary some students are working toward a culturally and racially competent library along with moving toward a more responsible curriculum for all seminary programs/classes across the board in lieu of the now en vogue “cultural competency class.” The Ivory Tower of Babel will fall.

  2. You are welcome, “TypingCircle.” Sounds like George Fox is serious and taking some significant steps. Yes, students can and should advocate for a more diverse faculty.

  3. Thank you, Dr Smith for your post. Your concept of “the oppressive houses that race built and maintains” is quite provocative, i think, should we ponder some of its direct implications: who owns those houses? who rents, that is, funds them? To what extent are classrooms effective spaces for adequately addressing and dismantling institutionalized challenges? In other words, to what extent — if at all — is the struggle to eradicate racism complicated by the fact that, to paraphrase Zora Neale Hurston, the oppressed are kinfolks to the pharaoh? Thanks again.

  4. Thank you Dr. Ngwa (I presume). Yes, equally provocative questions you ask. Too often there is institutional uneasiness, oversight, resistance, passivity, and decisions, including hires, that help to maintain the house as is.

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