Reflections on “Thinking with Jonathan Z. Smith”

Following the “Thinking with Jonathan Z. Smith” Conference hosted by the Norwegian University for Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, Aaron W. Hughes, the conference’s keynote speaker, joined conference panelist Andie Alexander to discuss some of what was discussed during the conference and primarily the legacy of J.Z. Smith’s work for the field of religious studies. The conference papers provided great examples of the application of Smith’s work across sub-fields and for religious studies pedagogy. But this wide application of Smith’s work also raised some questions not only about how scholars read and engage with his work but also about how we adapt and apply his work moving forward. Hughes reflects on the impact of Smith’s scholarship while also addressing critiques of his approach. Hughes contends that Smith left scholars of religion with a simple but impossible task of critically engaging and reflecting on one’s work while maintaining a playful, comparative approach.