Mr. Davis Smith
Davis C. Smith holds an MA in Classical Education from Hillsdale College. A 2026 Russell Kirk Center Wilbur Fellow, he is deeply passionate about the history and philosophy of education, aesthetics, hymnody, church history, and other aspects of the Western liberal arts tradition. His work has been featured by several outlets, including Circe Institute, The Conservative Reformer, and Lutheran Witness.
The Hermeneutics of Nature: Notes toward a Classical Lutheran Theory and Practice of Natural Science
This talk considers the definition, understanding, and pedagogy of natural science within a classical Lutheran framework. Some questions that will be addressed include: Why "natural science" rather than just science? Where does natural science fit within the liberal arts? How is natural science, taught classically, distinguished from modernist assumptions about it? What is its place within a Lutheran anthropology, epistemology, and teleology? And what routines, techniques, and objectives ought the classical Lutheran science teacher bring to the classroom so that students can love the pursuit of wisdom in nature? The first part considers the theory and philosophy of natural science with insights from Luther, Melanchthon, Kepler, and J. G. Hamann; while the second part shifts to practical advice for the classroom and lab. Ultimately, like all studies, natural science is an activity of praise for the goodness and mercy of the Lord, who gently furnishes and sustains us with His heavenly gifts in nature and reveals His wisdom to us in the Logos.