Thinking Shrewdly 2024 – Keynote

James K. A. Smith

The Mystic Crucible of Un-Knowing:
From Culture Wars to Contemplative Spirituality

Evening Keynote with James K.A. Smith

Religion is most susceptible to a culture-war mentality when the divine is domesticated by dogma. When a religion like Christianity is most focused on ideas—when our relationship to God is construed primarily as a matter of knowledge—then Christianity is most susceptible to what we might call “ideological capture.” This reflects a thoroughly modern epistemological assumption about knowledge as conceptual comprehension. An antidote to culture-war religion is found in mystical traditions that challenge such epistemic hubris. This presentation will explore the ancient resources of contemplative spirituality as a way to envision the future of religion in society.

James K. A. Smith is Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University, where he holds the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. Trained as a philosopher with a focus on contemporary French thought, Prof. Smith has emerged as an engaged public intellectual and cultural critic, building bridges between the academy, society, and Christian communities. The author of a number of influential books, Smith’s writing has also appeared in newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and USA Today, as well as in magazines such as America, the Christian Century, Christianity Today, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and LitHub.

You can learn more about the award-winning author, speaker and philosopher at jameskasmith.com

Saturday Morning Session:
A special Q&A Interview with James K. A. Smith