Dr. Dirk Smit joined the Princeton Seminary faculty in the fall of 2017 as the Rimmer and Ruth deVries Professor of Reformed Theology and Public Life. He is a leader in public theology in church life in South Africa and in the ecumenical world. He has written extensively, in both English and Afrikaans, on the legacy of the Reformed tradition and its relevance to contemporary theological, social, and political questions.
In 2018 Professor Smit was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Protestant Theological University (Protestantse Theologische Universiteit) in the Netherlands.
Dr. Smit will deliver this year’s Annie Kinkead Warfield Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary March 19–22 on the theme “Hope for Even the Most Wretched? Speaking of Election.”
Recently we sat down with Dr. Smit to ask him about his work and what motivates his teaching at Princeton Seminary.
Q: How does your work in South Africa speak to the current American context?
A: In South Africa, Reformed churches were deeply involved in many spheres of public life. Together with colleagues and students, I have been active in public theology, and I have been part of the work of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology. In the circles of public theology, but also through the ecumenical church, I have taken part in many projects addressing contemporary global challenges for faith and for societies in general.
Q: What is your area of study and
what impact do you hope it will
make on the church and society?
A: I am a systematic theologian. Early
in my career, I taught ethics at the
University of the Western Cape. I
was teaching during the years of
political and church struggle against apartheid. While at Princeton
Seminary, I intend to concentrate
on the role of the Reformed faith
in public life, given the diverse
intellectual traditions within the
Reformed tradition and the complex
nature of our contemporary global
world.
I find Princeton Seminary’s residential community and strong sense of belonging to be new, supportive, and enriching.
Q: How will your students be
equipped to participate in the
church’s public witness?
A: Equipping students for the church’s
public witness is indeed at the
heart of my teaching. This includes
teaching students to understand
contemporary public life in our
global world, to understand the
passion, power, and problems of the
Reformed tradition, and to recognize
the rich and diverse nature of witness
in today’s world.
Q: What’s struck you most in your
first few months at Princeton
Seminary?
A: Having taught in various university
settings—at the University of the
Western Cape, the Stellenbosch
University, but also for semesters
as a visiting professor at the
Universities of Marburg and
Heidelberg—I find Princeton
Seminary’s residential community
and strong sense of belonging to
be new, supportive, and enriching.
The residential community, daily
worship, and spiritual life are unique
to the Seminary and differ from my
experiences at secular universities.