- Southampton, United Kingdom
- History, Ancient History, Politics, Political Philosophy, Political Economy, Ancient Near East, and 49 moreAnglo-Saxon Studies, Anthropology, Astronomy, Archaeology, International Relations, Modern History, Paganism, Revolutions, Political Theory, Philosophy, Theology, Heavy Metal music and culture, History of Popular Music, Heavy Metal Music, Mythology, Norse mythology, Ancient Cosmologies, Vikings, Psychology of Religion, Ancient Religion, Mythology And Folklore, Sociology, Gender Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Biblical Studies, Religion and Politics, Historical Jesus, Social History, New Testament, New Testament and Christian Origins, British Politics, New Testament Studies, Radical politics, Reception History, Reception History of the Bible, Second Temple Judaism, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Origins of Christianity, Cosmology (Anthropology), Early Christianity, Ancient Christian Literature, Early Modern History, Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls (Religion), History of Biblical Interpretation, Ancient Judaism, Qumran, Synoptic Gospels, and Eschatology and Apocalypticismedit
- I am a PhD student in history at the University of Southampton, working on the history of religion in the ancient wor... moreI am a PhD student in history at the University of Southampton, working on the history of religion in the ancient world. The provisional subject of my thesis is the development of the concept of ascent to heaven in ancient Jewish and Christian literature, down to the 7th Century.
My research has mainly focused on the religious history of the ancient world, particularly the interaction between Jews, Christians and pagans in the first four centuries CE. I am also interested in the history of political movements, early mediaeval Britain and Scandinavia, and queer history.edit - Dr. Helen Spurling (PhD; MA Dissertation; BA Special Subject), Dr. Annelies Cazemier (PhD), Dr. Joan Tumblety (BA Dissertation), Dr. Louise Revell (BA Special Subject)edit
The short-lived reign of the Emperor Julian from 361 to 363 marks the last great attempt by the pagan faction within the Roman elite to rescue their ancient faith and restore it to primacy in the face of the Christian opposition. As a... more
The short-lived reign of the Emperor Julian from 361 to 363 marks the last great attempt by the pagan faction within the Roman elite to rescue their ancient faith and restore it to primacy in the face of the Christian opposition. As a dramatic and religiously significant episode in the history of the late Roman Empire, it has been the subject of much polemic from Christian authors both contemporary and mediaeval. This paper analyses the impressive surviving collection of Julian's own writings, as well as those of his friend and correspondent Libanius and his Christian former co-student and implacable opponent Gregory of Nazianzus, to dispel the distorted image provided by these accounts and instead arrive at a balanced and holistic view of Julian's religious philosophy and the policies by which he attempted to promote it.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The expulsion of the Moriscos (ex-Muslim converts to Christianity) from Spain in 1609-14 is a traumatic event in the wider tumult of the late 16 th and early 17 th Centuries. It represents part of the Spanish elite's attempts to redefine... more
The expulsion of the Moriscos (ex-Muslim converts to Christianity) from Spain in 1609-14 is a traumatic event in the wider tumult of the late 16 th and early 17 th Centuries. It represents part of the Spanish elite's attempts to redefine what it meant to be Spanish in an era when modern European identities were coalescing. Despite the Moriscos' important economic and social role within Spain at this, the beginning of its decline, Philip III and his Council took the decision to engage in an ethnic cleansing of this population from Spanish territory. This paper looks at the motivations behind this ultimately damaging decision, including the complex religious and cultural prejudices inherent in Spanish society of the time which form the background to the expulsions, as well as the more immediate strategic concerns and personal political manoeuvrings which ultimately tipped the balance. This inquiry is also relevant to the wider problems of cultural and religious intolerance, both in the period itself and in modern contexts.