author
William Benjamin Smith
1850–1934
A mathematician turned philosopher, he spent much of his career at Tulane University and became widely known for writing on religion as well as science. His work moved between exact reasoning and big, controversial questions about early Christianity.
1 Audiobook
The Color Line: A Brief in Behalf of the Unborn
by William Benjamin Smith
About the author
Born in Kentucky in 1850, William Benjamin Smith was an American scholar whose career crossed several fields. He studied in the United States and Germany, taught at Central College and the University of Missouri, and later joined Tulane University, where he served first as professor of mathematics and then as professor of philosophy.
Smith is remembered not only for academic work in mathematics and philosophy, but also for his writings on religion. He became especially known as an early advocate of the Christ myth theory, arguing that Jesus should be understood more as a figure of myth and belief than as a historical person. Whether readers agree with him or not, his books helped place him in major debates about religion and biblical scholarship in the early 20th century.
He died in 1934, leaving behind a body of work that shows an unusual mix of scientific training, philosophical interest, and religious controversy. For listeners drawn to bold, questioning minds, he stands out as a writer who was willing to test inherited ideas against logic and scholarship.