Janet E. Smith

This article is about the professor of moral theology. For the jurist, see Janet Smith (judge).

Janet Elizabeth Smith (born 1950) is an American classicist and philosopher, and professor of moral theology at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

Life

Education

Smith studied Classics at Grinnell College, earning the B.A. degree in 1972. She also received the M.A. in Classical Languages at the University of North Carolina in 1975, and the Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1982. Her doctoral dissertation, under the supervision of Timothy Barnes, was titled "Plato's Use of Myth as a Pedagogical Device".[1]

Teaching positions

After completing her doctorate, Smith taught philosophy for nine years at the University of Notre Dame in the program of Liberal Studies. She went on to teach philosophy for twelve years at the University of Dallas, where she received tenure.[2]

After a visiting professorship in life issues at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and simultaneously a visiting professorship in philosophy at Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Smith was hired by Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 2001. As of 2016 she holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair in Life Issues.

Service

Smith has served agencies of the Holy See in various capacities, longest as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Family.

From 1989 to 1994 Smith served the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes as an appointed member of an investigative commission into the publications of Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent on pastoral care for homosexual persons.[3][4]

In 2011, she was appointed to serve the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as a member of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission for five years.[5]

Smith has also served on the following institutional and corporate boards:

Honors

Smith has received two honorary degrees and several other awards for scholarship and service.

Speaking and media appearances

Smith is known in Catholic circles as an expert on Humanae Vitae and on Pope John Paul II's teaching on marriage and family life ("Theology of the Body"). She is a popular public speaker about Catholic teaching on sexuality and on bioethics.

She has appeared on the Geraldo show, Fox News, CNN International, CNN Newsroom, and Al Jazeera and has appeared in many shows for various series on EWTN.

Works

Books

Journals

Smith's work has been published in The American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, Catholic Dossier, The Irish Theological Quarterly, The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Nova et Vetera, The Thomist, and other publications.

Audio and video recordings

More than two million copies of her talk, Contraception: Why Not? have been distributed in CD and MP3 format.

References

  1. ↑ "Plato's Use of Myth as a Pedagogical Device (abstract)". PhilPapers. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  2. ↑ William Murray (February 8, 1998). "For Tradition-minded Catholics, Notre Dame is Making a Comeback". National Catholic Register. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ Robert Nugent and Jeannine Gramick. "Gramick/Nugent Case, 1988-1999". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ Teresa Malcolm (July 30, 1999). "Vatican ban ends years of investigation". National Catholic Reporter (via thefreelibrary.com). Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Third phase of Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue to commence in May". Episcopal News Service. February 4, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Humanae Vitae: A Challenge to Love (essay)". catholicculture.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Ethicist and author Janet Smith will be seminary's first 'Scholar in Residence'". University of St. Thomas. March 4, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal". Ave Maria University. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
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