News

Obituary: Historian Smith, 72, Dies

Historian of religion Timothy L. Smith, a pioneer for evangelicals in secular universities, died January 20 following extended illnesses in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 72.

“He had an enormous impact as a role model,” says Grant Wacker, professor of religious history at Duke University Divinity School. “He was the first evangelical historian in the U.S. to make it in the secular research university.”

A writer who published seminal pieces in nearly every historical journal, Smith won acclaim for his 1957 book Revivalism and Social Reform. Smith’s book, which tied historical revival movements to social action at a time when few evangelical churches made the association, received the Brewer prize from the American Society of Church History. Smith also penned a history of the Nazarene church, Called Unto Holiness, which he considered his most outstanding accomplishment.

A professor of history and education at Johns Hopkins University for 25 years, Smith also was a leading authority on the history of European immigration to the United States and the history of American education.

“He wanted to appreciate the big ideas held by little people,” says Joel Carpenter, provost of Calvin College and a former student of Smith’s. “He had uncommon respect for common people.”

Before his days at Johns Hopkins, where he also served as director of the program in American Religious History,

Smith taught at the University of Minnesota, East Texas State College, and Eastern Nazarene College. An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, he pastored churches in Massachusetts, Maine, and Colorado.

“You would be hard-pressed to find a school in the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities that Smith did not speak at,” says Carpenter. “Who knows how many people he inspired to pursue higher education?”

Also in this issue

Why Pastor Steve Loves His Job: Pastors are overworked, underpaid, and bear the weight of unrealistic expectations. Why then are so many so satisfied?

Cover Story

Why Pastor Steve Loves His Job Part 2

Cover Story

Why Pastor Steve Loves His Job

Cover Story

Why Pastor Steve Loves His Job Part 3

Training Shortfall May Imperil Growth

Ecumenism: Back to the Drawing Board for Ecumenism?

Arab Press Says Hussein Has Returned to Islam

Giving: Inheritance Windfall May Bypass Churches

Bill Sparks Abortion Controversy in Israel

Neat! Way Cool! Awesome!

Assemblies of God: Layoffs Avoided in Downsizing

What Pastor's Wives Wish Their Churches Knew Part 1

What Pastor's Wives Wish Their Churches Knew Part 2

Leaders Allege Clergy Harassment

First Lady Wants to Love Enemies

Preachers Dwell Less on Fundraising

Hatfield Praised as Christian Statesman

Muslims Destroy Christian Village

Evangelicals Plead for Korean Aid

Can Americans Still Hear the Good News?

News

News Briefs: April 07, 1997

News

News Briefs: April 07, 1997

Singing the Local Church Blues

Letters

Editorial

A Tutsi's Hope

Editorial

Mourning the Morning-After Pill

The Dilemmas of a Pro-Life Pastor

News

Sharing Living Water

Why the Conductor Threw Away His Baton

Love and Miracles in China

The Agnostic’s Expositor

A Canadian with an Attitude

Classic & Contemporary Excerpts from April 07, 1997

Welfare Reform: God in a Box?

Evangelism: Is Jewish-Christian a Contradiction in Terms?

View issue

Our Latest

News

Ghana May Elect Its First Muslim President. Its Christian Majority Is Torn.

Church leaders weigh competency and faith background as the West African nation heads to the polls.

Shamanism in Indonesia

Can Christians practice ‘white knowledge’ to heal the sick and exorcize demons?

Shamanism in Japan

Christians in the country view pastors’ benedictions as powerful spiritual mantras.

Shamanism in Taiwan

In a land teeming with ghosts, is there room for the Holy Spirit to work?

Shamanism in Vietnam

Folk religion has shaped believers’ perceptions of God as a genie in a lamp.

Shamanism in the Philippines

Filipinos’ desire to connect with the supernatural shouldn’t be eradicated, but transformed and redirected toward Christ.

Shamanism in South Korea

Why Christians in the country hold onto trees while praying outdoors.

Shamanism in Thailand

When guardian spirits disrupt river baptisms, how can believers respond?

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube