Received from Dr. Victoria Leonard (Institute of Classical Studies, London), Elisa Manzo (University of Naples Federico II) and Cameron Wachowich (University of Toronto)  Orosius Through The Ages is due to take place 25th-27th May 2022 at the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London This conference explores how the Orosian reshaping of the classical past calibrated medieval and early modern conceptions of antiquity, and how far the formulation of fundamental Christian belief-systems such as sin, divine providence, and human salvation took place in the pages of the text. The conference asks how the field of Orosian studies has developed since the publication of the seminal critical Latin edition by Sigebert Havercamp in 1738. It questions how scholars can bring together the many intersections of the Historiae’s influence in different fields, such as paleography, book history, Anglo Saxon studies, ancient history, Celtic studies, medieval history, and early modern studies, into a coherent field. In particular, the conference aims to examine how the Historiae shaped ancient and medieval constructions of race and colonialism, and how the text represented women, gender, and sexuality. The conference is generously hosted by the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London. The event blends in-person and online participation, as far […]

by the Past & Present editorial team Recording of a roundtable marking the fiftieth anniversary of Sir Keith Thomas’s Religion and the Decline of Magic This roundtable marking the fiftieth anniversary of Sir Keith Thomas’s Religion and the Decline of Magic was held at All Souls College, Oxford on Friday 3 September 2021. It features Michael Hunter, Alan Macfarlane, Sophie Page, Alexandra Walsham, and Jan Machielsen and was chaired by Paul Slack. It concludes with a speech by Sir Keith reflecting on the work’s origins. The organizers of the event, Michelle Pfeffer, Robin Briggs, and Jan Machielsen, are grateful to the Society for Renaissance Studies for agreeing to host this video on their YouTube channel. Past & Present was pleased to support this event and supports other events like it. Applications for event funding are welcomed from scholars working in the field of historical studies at all stages in their careers.

by the Past & Present editorial team Past & Present was pleased to support this event and supports other events like it. Applications for event funding are welcomed from scholars working in the field of historical studies at all stages in their careers.

Received from Hailey O’Harrow (University of St. Andrews) and Dr. Stephen Spencer (King’s College, London) Event Overview In 1941, Lucien Febvre called on scholars to place emotions at the very centre of their work; until they did so, he famously insisted, ‘there will be no real history possible’. Today, the ‘affective turn’ has seen the emergence of new methodologies and the destruction/adaptation of old ones; attempts to chart emotional continuities and changes over the longue durée; and a widening of geographic scope beyond western Europe. Nevertheless, the field finds itself at an important juncture, at least regarding the study of the Middle Ages: with the initial wave of scholarly interest having passed, scholars need to decide upon the most pressing research questions to be addressed, and thus the contours along which the field should develop. The history of emotions need not be only, or even primarily, about investigating past emotional experiences or standards: it can simultaneously serve as a framework to cast new light on much broader and traditional themes within medieval studies—religion, law, gender, politics, family—and thus play a far more diverse and prominent role in the historian’s toolkit by, for example, facilitating a deeper understanding of our sources. […]

Received from Michelle Pfeffer (University of Oxford) Event takes place online:  3rd September 2021, 14:00-17:45 (BST) This year sees the 50th anniversary of Sir Keith Thomas’s masterpiece, Religion and the Decline of Magic (1971), one of the most significant British historical monographs of the last century. This short conference will celebrate and reflect on Thomas’s achievement as well as publicise new interdisciplinary work on the history of magic and religion. How to Register The event will be live streamed from All Souls College, Oxford. Due to a limit on numbers as a result of the pandemic, only a small audience will be invited to attend the conference in-person. Please register here to receive a link to the live stream. Registrations close 2 September 2021, 15:00 (BST). Organised by Michelle Pfeffer (Magdalen College, University of Oxford), Jan Machielsen (Cardiff University), and Robin Briggs (All Souls College, University of Oxford) Conference Schedule 14:00-15:30 Session 1: The Decline of Magic Today Chair: Sir Noel Malcolm Panellists: Robin Briggs, Chris Gosden, Michelle Pfeffer, Will Pooley, Laura Sangha, David Zeitlyn Registrants will be sent the written papers for this roundtable a week in advance of the conference. 16:00-17:30 Session 2: The Legacy of Religion and […]

by Hannah Lyons, Dr. Tomás Irish and Dr. Simon John (Swansea University) On 28 and 29 June, Swansea University hosted researchers from around the world at this online workshop. Attendees discussed the history of statues and memorials, but also posed questions about what the events of 2020 might tell us about the future. The workshop was originally scheduled for June 2020, but was postponed in light of the repercussions of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was in that month of June that protesters toppled the statue of the slavetrader Edward Colston from its plinth in Bristol. In the wake of that event, debates about controversial statues became front-page news around the world. Twelve months on, the debates uncovered by those developments in the summer of 2020 featured at the heart of this workshop. The two days of discussion and debate were informed by several linked questions. What socio-political motives underpin cultural responses to monuments? How have monuments shaped how people understand the past? How do monuments interact with the urban setting in which they stand? How do the meanings of monuments develop over time and how are they mediated? How have monuments been used to enforce political […]

by the Past & Present editorial team

by the Past & Present editorial team Past & Present is pleased to support this event and supports other events like it. Applications for event funding are welcomed from scholars working in the field of historical studies at all stages in their careers.

Received from Dr. John Gallagher and Dr. Purba Hossain (University of Leeds) Roundtable: New Histories of Language will take place on Wednesday 14th July 2021 between 15:00 and 17:00 online via Zoom. About the event This roundtable brings together scholars working on a variety of periods and geographical areas but with a shared interest in histories of language, to discuss new developments and directions in the field. It explores questions such as: how have historians approached themes like multilingualism, language mediation and language learning? What are the linkages between language and power, language and colonialism, or language and nationalism? How has the study of language histories changed over the years? Supported by the Past and Present Society, and hosted by Dr John Gallagher and Dr Purba Hossain (University of Leeds), our speakers include Prof. Ardis Butterfield (Yale University), Dr Paul Cohen (University of Toronto), Dr Margaret Kelleher (University College Dublin), Dr Rachel Leow (University of Cambridge) and Dr Farina Mir (University of Michigan). Link to Registration A version of the poster with a live registration hyperlink can also be dowloaded here. Past & Present is pleased to support this event and supports other events like it. Applications for event funding are welcomed […]

Received from Dr. Simon John (Swansea University) Contested Histories: Creating and Critiquing Public Monuments and Memorials in a New Age of Iconoclasm is a workshop which will be hosted by the Swansea University Conflict, Reconstruction and Memory (CRAM) Research Group on 28th and 29th June 2021, online via Zoom Overview This event, organised by Swansea University’s Conflict, Reconstruction and Memory Research Group, will explore debates surrounding the cultural and political uses of monuments, reflecting upon their role in the memorialisation and imagining of the past. It takes a broad view of ‘monuments’, considering artefacts such as war memorials, cenotaphs and public statuary as well as urban sites damaged through war, or locations hallowed through their connection to pivotal events in the past. Initially planned for summer 2020 but postponed due to COVID-19, the workshop draws inspiration from contemporary debates energised by movements such as ‘Rhodes Must Fall’, Decolonizing the University, and campaigns against Confederate monuments in the USA. This event aims to contribute to these dialogues by fostering academic critiques of past uses of monuments and statues, whilst simultaneously engaging with present-day issues. Attendees will hear from academic speakers as well as practitioners who are (or have been) involved in […]