Before joining the faculty of Perkins School of Theology in 2002, Abraham Smith taught New Testament at Andover Newton Theological School for four years, Boston University School of Theology for eight years, and the Interdenominational Theological Center for three years. He was educated at the University of Alabama (B.A.), the Interdenominational Theological Center (M.Div.) and Vanderbilt University (Ph.D).

Dr. Smith’s teaching specialties include the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and 1 Thessalonians, and he has taught extensively on all the books of the New Testament. His research interests include African American biblical hermeneutics and cultural studies.

Among his recent publications are several commentaries at workingpreacher.org (Luke 1:39-45, Luke 4:21-30, Luke 5:1-11), several articles in the Westminster/John Knox Study Bible (2024), multiple articles in Biblical Theology Quarterly,  and books titled Mark: An Introduction and Study Guide (2017) and Black/Africana Studies and Black/Africana Biblical Studies (2020), and many other publications. He has three forthcoming books: Fighting with the Text: African American Biblical Hermeneutics, Imagining a Better World: The Bible and African American Visual Artists, and Slaughtered but Still Standing: Prophetic Rhetoric, Moral Movements, and the Legacies of a Lynched Lamb.

An ordained minister of the National Baptist Church USA Inc., Smith served as a pastor for ten years. He continues to provide support for numerous churches through bible studies and lectures on Mark, the Gospels, and Acts.