About
Geoffrey Smith is an Associate Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. He serves as Director of the Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins (ISAC) and holds the Louise Farmer Boyer Chair in Biblical Studies fellowship. His academic work focuses on New Testament, Early Christianity, Patristics, Nag Hammadi, Papyrology, and Coptic Language and Literature.
- Ph.D. in Religions of Mediterranean Antiquity from Princeton University (2013)
Smith’s research centers on early Christian texts, including heresy catalogues, Gnostic writings, and Nag Hammadi manuscripts. He has published extensively on theological controversies, textual transmission, and Coptic literature, with notable books such as Guilt by Association: Heresy Catalogues in Early Christianity (OUP, 2015) and Valentinian Christianity: Texts and Translations (UC Press, 2020). His recent Google Scholar articles highlight his expertise in manuscript analysis, scribal practices, and theological debates in antiquity.
Smith’s work has been featured in prominent media outlets like The Atlantic, BBC, CNN, and The New York Times. He teaches courses such as Religion and Medicine in the Ancient World, Gnosticism in Early Christianity, and advanced Coptic language courses, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to ancient religious traditions.
