President Smith holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Southern California, an M.A. from the University of Connecticut, and a B.A. from Biola University. He taught for 15 years in higher education before co-founding Hildegard College. 

Dr. Smith is driven by the pursuit of an education that is “fearless and humble at the same time, inspired by belief in the divine Word who guides any honest and well-ordered seeker of what is true and beautiful.” He is a regular speaker at schools and churches on the topics of culture and often appears on podcasts. You can read Dr. Smith’s blog at his free substack here. 

President Smith’s scholarship is on medieval and renaissance literature and especially the works of Shakespeare, Milton, Herbert, Donne, and late medieval drama. Dr. Smith is the author and editor of four books: Performance and Religion in Early Modern England: Stage, Cathedral, Wagon, Street (Notre Dame), Face to Face in Shakespearean Drama: Ethics, Performance, Philosophy (Edinburgh), Literature and Religious Experience: Beyond Belief and Unbelief (Bloomsbury), and a recently finished manuscript: Shakespearean Recognitions: Philosophies of the Post-Tragic. He is also an editor of the journal Christianity & Literature and has guest-edited three special issues: The Sacramental Text Reconsidered, Sincerity, a Literary History, and The Future of Christianity and Literature in Literary Studies. Dr. Smith also works as a strategy consultant for educational institutions and is a member of the Formation Agency team. 

President Smith lives in Fullerton, CA, with his wife and three children. He serves on the Board of Directors at Orange County Classical Academy and the Academic Board of the Classic Learning Test. He is also Senior Warden at his church, St. Thomas Anglican Church.