Smith Named University Research Professor Grant

Julien Smith, Ph.D., will serve as University Research Professor at Valpo for the 2017–2018 academic year. The grant  recognizes and encourages scholarly accomplishments and will afford Smith the opportunity to continue creative and original work. Smith, associate professor of humanities and theology in Christ College, will continue research on a book examining the portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth as a king.
Smith’s proposed book, “Why is Christ Called a King? Heavenly Citizenship, Moral Transformation, and the Restoration of Creation in Paul’s Letters,” will examine the Apostle Paul’s portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth as a king and the religious, cultural and social implications of the title. Smith, who joined the faculty in 2010, is the author of Christ the Ideal King: Cultural Context, Rhetorical Strategy, and the Power of Divine Monarchy in Ephesians, published by Mohr Siebeck in 2011.

In addition to teaching in the CC Freshman Program, Smith teaches The Christian Tradition and seminars on Jesus and Paul.

University Research Professors are selected by the Creative Work and Research Committee on the basis of the proposal’s originality and significance and the applicant’s capacity to execute the program of study.