The Rev. Dr. Ted A. Smith works at the intersections of practical and political theology, tracing connections between everyday church life and basic questions of politics and culture. He is the author of two books, The New Measures: A Theological History of Democratic Practice (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and Weird John Brown: Divine Violence and the Limits of Ethics (Stanford University Press, 2014), and has written numerous essays for both scholarly and popular publications. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Louisville Institute and on the editorial boards of Political Theology and Practical Matters.

Prior to coming to Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Smith taught at Vanderbilt Divinity School, where he served as Director of the Program in Theology and Practice. At Emory Smith also teaches in the Graduate Division of Religion and is affiliated with the Center for the Study of Law and Religion.