Dean, School of Missions & Intercultural Ministry, Professor of Intercultural Studies and History of Global Christianity
Ed Smither joined the Columbia International University faculty in 2012. Previously, he taught church history and intercultural studies at Liberty University (2006鈥2012) and spent fourteen years in intercultural ministry in North Africa, France, and the USA. Smither enjoys studying and teaching theology and history of Christian mission. He serves as Vice President of the Evangelical Missiological Society and editor of the Journal of EMS.听
Since 1999, Smither has been married to Shawn and together they parent three wonderful children鈥擝rennan, Emma, and Eve. He enjoys road biking (the kind you pedal) the back roads of northwest Columbia, listening to really old hymns and modern rock, and suffering as a Washington football fan.
Education 听
PhD, University of Pretoria (South Africa)
PhD, University of Wales-Trinity St. David (United Kingdom)
STM, Nashotah House Theological Seminary
MDiv, Liberty University
MA, Liberty University
BA, North Carolina State University
Selected Publications听听
Books
Equipping for Global Mission: Theological and Missiological Proposals and Case Studies.听Littleton: William Carey, 2024 (edited with Linda Saunders and Gregory Mathias).
Reading 1 Peter Missiologically: The Missionary Motive, Message, and Methods of 1 Peter.听Littleton: William Carey, 2024 (edited with Abeneazer Urga and Jessica Udall).
John Stott: A Facilitator of Global Missional Theology.听Eugene: Cascade, 2023.
Mission in Praise, Word, and Deed: Reflections on the Past and Future of Global Mission.听Littleton: William Carey, 2023 (edited with Jessica Udall).
Reading Hebrews Missiologically: The Missionary Motive, Message, and Methods of Hebrews.听Littleton: William Carey, 2023 (edited with Abeneazer Urga and Linda Saunders).
Mission in the Way of Daniel: Empowering Believers to Live into God鈥檚 Plan.听Littleton: William Carey, 2022.
Mission as Hospitality: Imitating the Hospitable God in Mission.听Eugene: Cascade, 2021.
Sixteenth-Century Mission: Explorations in Protestant and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice.听Bellingham: Lexham, 2021 (edited with Robert Gallagher).听
Christian Martyrdom: A Brief History with Reflections for Today.听Eugene: Cascade, 2020.
Christian Mission: A Concise Global History.听Bellingham: Lexham, 2019.听
Missionary Monks: An Introduction to the History and Theology of Missionary Monasticism.听Eugene: Cascade, 2016.
Controversies in Mission: Theology, People, and Practice of Mission in the 21st Century.听Pasadena: William Carey, 2016 (edited with Rochelle Cathcart Scheuermann).听
Mission in the Early Church.听Eugene: Cascade, 2014.
Rethinking Constantine: History, Theology, and Legacy.听Eugene: Pickwick, 2014.
Brazilian Evangelical Missions in the Arab World: History, Culture, Practice, and Theology.听Eugene: Pickwick, 2012.
Fran莽ois Decret,听Early Christianity in North Africa.听Eugene: Cascade, 2009 (translator).
Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2008.
Chapters and Articles
鈥淐ommunicating Catholic and Indigenous Christianity: The Anglican听Book of Common Prayer鈥檚 Contribution to Global Mission.鈥澨Missio Dei: A Journal of Missional Theology and Praxis听13, no. 1 (Winter-Spring 2022).
鈥淭imothy I of Baghdad: A Model for Peaceful Dialogue.鈥 In听The History of Apologetics: A Biographical and Methodological Introduction.听Edited by Benjamin Forrest et al., 197-209. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020 (authored with Trevor Castor).
鈥Sola Scriptura听and the Recovery of Bible Translation in the Reformation.鈥 In听Celebrating the Legacy of the Reformation. Edited by Benjamin Forrest et al., 273-290. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2019.
鈥淎ugustine of Hippo: Agape-Driven, Christocentric Preaching,鈥 In听A Legacy of Preaching, Volume 1: Apostles to the Revivalists.听Edited by Benjamin Forrest et al., 146-156. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018.
鈥淔rancis of Assisi, Christology, and Mission,鈥澨Missiology: An International Review听46, no. 3 (2018): 283-292.
鈥淓xplaining the Trinity to Muslims and Jews in Medieval Christian Mission: Lessons from the听Life of Cyril,鈥澨International Bulletin of Mission Research听41, no. 1 (2017): 1-9.
鈥淲hen the Church was the Mission Organization: Rethinking Winter's Two Structures of Redemption Paradigm.鈥 In听Churches on Mission: God's Grace Abound to听the Nations.听Edited by Geoffrey Hart, Christopher R. Little, and John Wang, 25-46, Pasadena: William Carey, 2017.
鈥淎ugustine, Missionary to Heretics? An Appraisal of Augustine's Missional Engagement with the Donatists.鈥 In听A Uniquely African Controversy: Studies on Donatist Christianity.听Edited by A. Dupont, M.A. Gaumer, and M. Lamberigts, 269-288, Leuven: Brepols, 2014.
鈥淟essons听from a Tentmaking听Ascetic in the Egyptian Desert: The Case of Evagrius of Pontus,鈥澨Missiology: An International Review听39, no. 4 (October 2011): 485-496.
鈥淎n Unrecognized and Unlikely Influence? The Impact of Valerius of Hippo on Augustine,鈥澨Irish Theological Quarterly听72, no. 3 (2007): 251-264.
Awards and Honors
Christianity Today Book Award of Merit (Christian Mission: A Concise Global History), 2020.
Outreach Magazine Book of the Year for Mission (Christian Mission), 2020
.