James K. A. Smith

James K. A. Smith (1970–present) is a Canadian-American philosopher and theologian who holds the Gary and Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview at Calvin University. Trained at Villanova University and the Institute for Christian Studies, Smith completed his doctorate under John D. Caputo, developing a distinctive approach that bridges continental philosophy and Reformed theology. His philosophical contributions center on a post-secular critique of modernity, phenomenology of religion, and embodied anthropology. Major works include Desiring the Kingdom (2009), which advances a liturgical anthropology emphasizing embodied practices over propositional beliefs, and How (Not) to Be Secular (2014), an influential interpretation of Charles Taylor's secular age thesis. Smith's cultural liturgies project examines how secular practices shape human desires and identity formation. His work on radical orthodoxy, Augustine, and post-liberalism has significantly influenced contemporary discussions about faith in pluralistic contexts, making philosophical theology accessible to broader audiences while maintaining scholarly rigor.