Martyn Smith

Religious Studies examines how groups of people find meaning in their lives and impart value to the world around them. My own central research question revolves around the relationship of people with places, how groups modify landscapes and build structures and cities that reflect shared beliefs. When I teach Islam, I focus on great cities like Cairo or Istanbul that became expressions of this global faith. I teach courses on religion and ecology (how to lose a settler point of view and find a home) and religion and technology (critical of tech's placeless vision of the future). I see religious studies as a place to investigate the large-scale stories that communities tell about themselves, and my classes offer an opportunity to rediscover ancient traditions and to consider alternative stories for our shared human future.

Since receiving tenure I have worked steadily at a project that examines the construction (and destruction) of sacred space around the world. This digital project is contained on my website PlacedThoughts. My work on this site reflects an attempt to tether my thinking to place, and to let larger theories arise from the details of a site. These individual thoughts are then gathered into larger interpretive stories covering sites that include Senegal, Dubai, Cairo, Silicon Valley, or (closer to home) the effigy mounds of Wisconsin.

I contribute regularly to the Global Studies program. I've led numerous student trips to visit mosques and other religious sites in Dearborn, Michigan. I've led student trips to international sites like Morocco and Senegal, and I was the faculty in residence at the Lawrence London Centre in fall 2019. I will lead a field experience trip to Brazil over spring break 2025. From my own life experience, and from what I've seen in students, I know that experiences abroad can be transformative for students. 

I am an alderperson in Appleton's District 4. After living in Appleton for almost two decades now, I enjoy the opportunity to give back to this community. I also appreciate the close view of the expertise and care it takes to keep a city like Appleton running. I hope to incorporate some of this local knowledge into my courses in the future.