Is There a Bible in This Class? Rethinking Biblical Studies with Jonathan Z. Smith

During his long and prolific career as a scholar of religion, Jonathan Z. Smith has often found himself discussing questions of method and theory in the study of biblical texts, and his overall influence in shaping some of the major trends in the current field of biblical studies can certainly not be overestimated. The main goal of this paper is to show how Smith’s theoretical and methodological reflection cannot even be properly understood without considering his keen interest in Bible materials and his frequent incursions into minefield of biblical scholarship. After sketching out a portrait of Smith as a reader, and then as a teacher, of the Bible, the analysis will focus on his methodological principle of “taking the Bible as an example.” This will pave the way for a critical re-assessment of Smith’s ideas about the academy, as well as for some general remarks on the place and role of biblical studies in the fragmented landscape of 21st-century higher education.