Arts at the Parish: An Evening with Philosopher James K. A. Smith

Join us on Saturday,March 28, 6PM – 8PM at St. George’s Church for a conversation between the Reverend Jacob Smith and philosopher James K. A. Smith discussing his new book, Make Your Home in this Luminous Dark: Mysticism, Art, and the Path of Unknowing.

Smith explores how radical uncertainty can be liberating, opening us to another way of being. The pain of his own profound uncertainty led Smith to a surprising source for modern consolation: the mystical experiences of St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, and the author of The Cloud of Unknowing. These mystics testify to a deeper truth beneath distraction, anxiety, and fear: love. Drawing on ancient traditions of contemplation as well as on contemporary novels, poetry, film, and paintings, Smith speaks to the fundamental yearnings that persist in late modernity, including the philosophical quest for knowledge and certainty. He shows us how the gifts of the Christian contemplative tradition and the riches of creative works embody a liberating spirituality that recovers the fullness of being human.

About the Author:

James K.A. Smith is professor of philosophy at Calvin University. As a cultural critic and commentator, he explores the tensions of modern life, inviting readers and audiences to more intentional practices of faith and flourishing. He is the award-winning author of a number of books including You Are What You Love, On the Road with Saint Augustine, and How to Inhabit Time. His latest is Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark: Mysticism, Art, and the Path of Unknowing from Yale University Press (2026). 

Smith served as editor in chief of Comment magazine (2013-2018) and Image journal (2019-2024). His essays and criticism have appeared in magazines that include the Christian Century, America, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, LitHub, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.