Scott L. Smith Jr.

Scott L. Smith Jr.
Born (1983-05-26) 26 May 1983 (age 41)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
OccupationAuthor, Attorney
Alma mater
Notable worksPray the Rosary with Saint John Paul II, Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist
SpouseSara Ashton LaGrone
Children5

Scott L. Smith Jr. (born 26 May 1983) is a Catholic American author and attorney.[1] Smith is the author of several books of Catholic theology and devotion including Consecration to St. Joseph for Children and Families co-authored with Fr. Donald Calloway, Pray the Rosary with St. John Paul II, The Catholic ManBook, and a new translation of the Preparation for Total Consecration according to Saint Louis de Montfort. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Men of the Immaculata.[2][3][4]

Career and personal life

Smith graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in 2001 and Texas A&M University in 2006 with a degree in chemical engineering.[5] He then entered the Jesuit Novitiate in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Smith received his Masters in Theology at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he studied under Dr. Brant J. Pitre. He received his juris doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center of Louisiana State University in 2013.[6]

Smith served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General from 2015 to 2019 before entering private practice.[7]

Smith lives in New Roads, Louisiana with his wife Sara Ashton LaGrone and their five children.[8] He is a 13th generation resident of New Roads, Louisiana, seat of Pointe Coupee Parish. Smith's ancestor Jean Baptiste Pourciau immigrated to Pointe Coupee Parish in 1720 from the Diocese of Cambrai, France.[9]

Writing projects

In 2010, Smith began a series of articles exploring the Lembas waybread as a symbol for the Eucharist in The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.[10] The Lembas, for example, originated as a waybread for the Elves' Great Journey to the Undying Lands, as the Manna was the waybread for the Israelites during the Exodus to the Promised Land.[11][12] These articles were eventually published as an anthology entitled Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist.[13] Actor Kevin O'Brien, who has portrayed J. R. R. Tolkien on EWTN and elsewhere, narrated the audiobook version of Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist.[14]

Since 2010, Smith has worked as freelance essayist and lecturer on Biblical topics, including typology, Mariology, and Biblical references in contemporary books and movies.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Smith has written extensively on the Virgin Mary and is a frequent lecturer on the subject.[26][27][28][29][30]

Smith has written on Catholic and Christian themes appearing in comics, science fiction, and current movies.[31][32][33][34] A collection of his articles on these topics was recently published as The Theology of Sci-Fi: The Christian's Guide to the Galaxy.

In 2018, Smith collaborated with Louisiana historian Brian J. Costello on a series of biographies of holy men and beatified people, entitled Blessed Is He Who ...: Models of Catholic Manhood.

As of 2019, Smith is serving as the co-host of the Catholic Nerds Podcast.[35][36] On Episode 5, the Catholic Nerds interviewed Zac Mabry, who played "Porky" in the 1994 film The Little Rascals, about his conversion to Catholicism.[37][38]

Smith co-authored with Fr. Donald Calloway the Consecration to St. Joseph for Children and Families.[39]

As a pioneer of the Catholic Horror subgenre, Smith is also the author of several horror novels, including The Seventh Word and The Cajun Zombie Chronicles.[40] His novels are all set in a fictionalized version of his hometown of New Roads, Louisiana.

Awards

Smith's blog was awarded the 2018 Fisher's Net award for "Best Blog".[41]

Bibliography

Non-fiction

Sole author

Collaborative works

Fiction

References

  1. ^ "Scott Smith, Attorney at Law". The Pointe Coupee Banner.com. 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Celebrating Advent with a twist in unusual year". Catholic Commentator. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Seeking Guidance from an 'Average Joe'". Catholic Community Radio. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Seeking guidance from 'an average Joe'". Catholic Commentator. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Students win scholarships". The Oklahoman. 1 June 2000. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Holy Water Books, About Scott L. Smith Jr". Holy Water Books. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Scott Smith Jr. opens hometown legal practice". The Pointe Coupee Banner. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  8. ^ Meek, Richard. "Honoring Jesus' Birthday: Smith Family Puts Meaning Intro Season" (PDF). The Catholic Commentator. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Resting Places Of Pointe Coupée's Early Residents". Louisiana's Historic and Cultural Vistas. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  10. ^ "The Hidden Eucharist in the Lord of the Rings". Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  11. ^ Fr. James T. O'Connor (2005), The Hidden Manna: A Theology of the Eucharist
  12. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (2017), The Hidden Manna in The Lord of the Rings
  13. ^ Google Books (24 March 2019), Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist, Holy Water Books, ISBN 9780998360386 {{citation}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ EWTN Homeschool Connections, Kevin O'Brien
  15. ^ Brian Kelly (6 July 2018). "Saving the Best Wine for Last". Catholicism.org.
  16. ^ Tito Edwards (7 May 2020). "Top 7 Times Science Has Proven The Bible". National Catholic Register.
  17. ^ Brian Kelly (30 March 2018). "The Skull of Adam Was Buried Beneath the Cross of Christ". Catholicism.org.
  18. ^ Tito Edwards (31 October 2019). "Did Jesus Eat Himself At The Last Supper, Top Myths About The Crusades And The Church". National Catholic Register.
  19. ^ Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (July 2018). "Johannine Literature – MAT II". Diocese of Baton Rouge.
  20. ^ Tito Edwards (23 May 2018). "Why Catholics are Losing the Culture War". National Catholic Register.
  21. ^ "Issue #61". New Evangelists Monthly. January 2018.
  22. ^ "Issue #92". New Evangelists Monthly. August 2020.
  23. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. "Did St. Kateri bring a miracle healing not once, but twice, to the same child?". Aleteia. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  24. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. "Archive of Smith articles". Big Pulpit. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  25. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (19 March 2013). "Backwash in the Chalice?". Catholic Exchange.
  26. ^ Fajardo, Julienne (6 October 2020). "Starbucks Logo: The True Story Behind The Siren". Citizenside. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  27. ^ "The Terrifying New Patroness ..." National Catholic Register. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  28. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (4 September 2017). "Did Mary Appear at Fatima for the Conversion of Muslims?". ChurchPop. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  29. ^ Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (July 2018). "Mariology – MAT II". Diocese of Baton Rouge.
  30. ^ LearnCat (July 2018). "Mariology". Diocese of Baton Rouge.
  31. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (14 November 2017). "The Hidden Christian Meaning of the Myth of Thor". ChurchPop. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  32. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (18 November 2020). "The Theology of Superman: Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, and Justice League". Clarifying Catholicism. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  33. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (27 April 2020). "The Messiah of 'Dune': Paul Atreides, the Kwisatz Haderach". Voyage Comics. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  34. ^ Scott L. Smith Jr. (24 July 2020). "The "Virgin Mary" of 'Dune': Lady Jessica". Voyage Comics. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  35. ^ "Catholic Nerds Podcast". Stitcher. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  36. ^ "Why Are Millennials Turning to Tradition?". The Station of the Cross. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  37. ^ "Catholic Nerds, Episode 5". AnchorFM. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  38. ^ "'Little Rascals' Alfalfa and Porky Are Catholic Converts". Catholicism.org. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  39. ^ Calloway and Smith, Consecration to St. Joseph for Children and Families
  40. ^ "Horror novel from Scott L. Smith Jr. is the first of its kind". ChristianHorror.com. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  41. ^ "2018 Fisher's Net Awards". Best Catholic Websites. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  42. ^ Calloway and Smith, Consecration to St. Joseph for Children and Families