--- title: Articles – Church Life Journal | Christian Smith description: Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, Director of the Notre Dame Center for Social Research, Principal Investigator of the National Study of Youth and Religion, and Principal Investigator of the Science of Generosity Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. Smith’s research focuses primarily on religion in modernity, adolescents, American evangelicalism, and culture. --- Search [![churchlife](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Churchlife_Aug2016_Theme/Images/church-life-journal-white-horizontal-1.png)](http://churchlife.nd.edu/) - [Essays](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/essays) - [Articles](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles) - [Blog](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/blog-post) - [Contributors](http://churchlife.nd.edu/contributors/) All posts filed under: ARTICLES ## Christian Smith ![](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/chrissmithphoto.jpg) Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, Director of the Notre Dame Center for Social Research, Principal Investigator of the National Study of Youth and Religion, and Principal Investigator of the Science of Generosity Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. Smith’s research focuses primarily on religion in modernity, adolescents, American evangelicalism, and culture. ### Recent Posts [![](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Smith-pt-3-crop.jpg)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/25/improving-catholic-homilies-part-3-explain-the-liturgy) ## [Improving Catholic Homilies, Part 3: Explain the Liturgy](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/25/improving-catholic-homilies-part-3-explain-the-liturgy) Published by [Christian Smith](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/author/christian-smith) I have in parts [one](http://churchlife.nd.edu/2016/07/11/improving-catholic-homilies-part-1/) and [two](http://churchlife.nd.edu/2016/07/18/improving-catholic-homilies-part-2/) of this series dedicated to improving Catholic homilies suggested two major pieces of advice. First, avoid homilies that are unfocused and difficult to absorb by driving home only one important point per homily. Second, avoid sentimental moralism by grounding every homily message in the *Good News* of what God has done for us as the foundation of anything we might need to... Share - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [July 25, 2016](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/25/improving-catholic-homilies-part-3-explain-the-liturgy) [Articles](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/articles) / [Archive](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/archive) / [catechesis](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/catechesis) / [christiansmith](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/christiansmith) / [homilies](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/homilies) / [liturgy](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/liturgy) / [preaching](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/preaching) [![](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Smith-pt-2-crop.jpg)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/18/improving-catholic-homilies-part-2) ## [Improving Catholic Homilies, Part 2: Less Moralism, More Gospel](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/18/improving-catholic-homilies-part-2) Published by [Christian Smith](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/author/christian-smith) In the [first installment of this series](http://churchlife.nd.edu/2016/07/11/improving-catholic-homilies-part-1/), I addressed one problem with Catholic homilies: the tendency to focus on too many points, rather than a single teaching or idea woven throughout the homily. The second common problem with bad Catholic homilies is this: far too many preachers neglect the Christian Gospel, true evangelization, and instead merely peddle sentimental moralism. Too often Catholic... Share - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [July 18, 2016](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/18/improving-catholic-homilies-part-2) [Articles](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/articles) / [Archive](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/archive) / [christiansmith](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/christiansmith) / [homilies](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/homilies) / [Jesus Christ](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/jesus-christ) / [kerygma](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/kerygma) / [preaching](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/preaching) / [Trinity](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/trinity) / [Gospel](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/gospel) [![](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Smith-crop.jpg)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/11/improving-catholic-homilies-part-1) ## [Improving Catholic Homilies, Part 1: One Point at a Time](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/11/improving-catholic-homilies-part-1) Published by [Christian Smith](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/author/christian-smith) It is common knowledge that the homilies offered in many Catholic parishes (how can one say this charitably?) often have a lot of room for improvement. The quality of Catholic homilies, of course, varies widely according to the specific parish and priest involved. I have actually heard some of the best sermons of my life in Catholic Masses. But I have also heard plenty of lousy homilies too. So, i... Share - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [July 11, 2016](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/07/11/improving-catholic-homilies-part-1) [Articles](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/articles) / [Archive](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/archive) / [christiansmith](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/christiansmith) / [homilies](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/homilies) / [preaching](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/preaching) ### Share [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Farticles%2Fauthor%2Fchristian-smith%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Farticles%2Fauthor%2Fchristian-smith%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Farticles%2Fauthor%2Fchristian-smith%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Farticles%2Fauthor%2Fchristian-smith%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Articles%20%E2%80%93%20Church%20Life%20Journal%20%7C%20Christian%20Smith) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Farticles%2Fauthor%2Fchristian-smith%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fmcgrathblog.nd.edu%2Fcategory%2Farticles%2Fauthor%2Fchristian-smith%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### Categories - [Articles (91)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/articles) - [timothypomalley (22)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/timothypomalley) - [Jesus Christ (18)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/jesus-christ) - [Scripture (17)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/scripture) - [Archive (12)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/archive) - [preaching (10)](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/topic/preaching) ![Institute for Church Life](https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Churchlife_Aug2016_Theme/Images/icl-lockup-01.png?width=318&name=icl-lockup-01.png "Institute for Church Life") ### About the ICL The Institute for Church Life animates the University of Notre Dame’s direct service to the Church through outreach in theological education, research, faith formation, and leadership development. ### Church Life Journal - [About](http://churchlife.nd.edu/about/) - [Archives](http://churchlife.nd.edu/archives/) - [Contact](http://churchlife.nd.edu/contact/) - [Contributors](http://churchlife.nd.edu/contributors/) - [Journal Submission Guidelines](http://churchlife.nd.edu/journal-submission/) ### Follow Us - - - Copyright © 2016 University of Notre Dame | Institute for Church Life