THE REV. THEE SMITH, PH.D.

The Rev. Dr. Theophus “Thee” Smith’s expertise includes diversity training, interfaith conflict resolution, and human rights advocacy. As an African-American he maintains an activist commitment to economic equity for all people and advanced democracy in the U.S. and abroad. He is also a native of Atlanta where he has taught religious studies for 30 years at Emory University*. Raised in Black church traditions, Thee now serves as clergy at the Cathedral of St. Philip in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta (www.stphilipscathedral.org). He is also a registered mediator in the State of Georgia and a certified teacher of Re-evaluation Counseling (www.RC.org), through which he offers peer counseling classes and leads support groups in personal development and intergroup solidarity open to the public.

SCHOLAR and AUTHOR, TRAINER and CONSULTANT:

Thee Smith’s award-winning 1994 book, Conjuring Culture: Biblical Formations of Black America spans the fields of religion and theological studies, African-American spirituality and violence studies. Also in 1994 he co-edited the multi-authored book, Curing Violence.

Since 2003 he remains an active co-founder of the restorative justice and human rights-based nonprofit, Southern Truth and Reconciliation (www.southerntruth.net). Thee Smith has led forums and workshops on reconciliation issues at Emory University, in the Episcopal Church, and throughout the nation as the Atlanta chapter director of the National Coalition Building Institute – NCBI.org. In the worldwide Anglican Communion of churches he formerly directed the Atlanta chapter of the Community of the Cross of Nails – CCN-North America.

Thee’s organizational consulting practices are ‘deliberately developmental’ (cf. Robert Kegan’s workplace coaching). Related expertise, facilitations and speaking engagements are currently available through Thurman Reconciliation Initiatives (TRI) Inc., his independent research and consulting practice that provides ‘faith-based resources for conflict transformation and social change.’

*For further information see the faculty profile at http://religion.emory.edu/home/people/faculty/smith-thee.html and the LinkedIN profile at www.linkedin.com/in/theesmith.

Formerly a martial-arts student of Afro-Brazilian capoeira and a lapsed canoeist, Thee can still be found actively composing (sometimes published) speeches, editorials, sermons and prayers in cafés throughout metro Atlanta.