Call for Papers – ICMS ‘Indigenous turn’ Sessions on the ‘Glo(cal) Middle Ages’ and ‘Settler Medievalism’

CALL FOR PAPERS 

61st International Congress on Medieval Studies
Kalamazoo, Michigan ‧ May 14-16, 2026

Abstract submissions due September 15, 2025 to the ICMS Confex site:

https://icms.confex.com/icms/2026/prelim.cgi

“The Glo(cal) Middle Ages on Turtle Island” (hybrid panel)

The Global Middle Ages tends to re-emphasize the ‘Old World’ myths by expanding the focus out of Europe into Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This panel considers how our localities (e.g., Indigenous North America) should be centered in this conversation. Given that ICMS takes place at Western Michigan University on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Bodewadmi Nations, what role should the Land play in how we teach the Middle Ages on these Lands? Within this turn outward to the globalized Middle Ages, how do we return to the local? How does our geographic positioning impact our understanding of the Middle Ages and medievalism? What role does Indigenous North America have in our understanding of the Middle Ages or the impacts of medievalism?

“Settler Medievalism: Ideology and Practice” (hybrid panel)

The (re)imagining of the medieval has a long-standing political impulse across both White nationalism and settler-colonial ideology–often facilitating an overlap of these value systems. Helen Young and Stephanie Downes note that politics embedded in popular medievalism radicalizes audiences who “would not engage in political manifestos” (2). However, this settler medievalism appears across political manifestos and popular medievalism: Thomas Jefferson famously evoked the early Middle Ages to justify a homogenous White America. Both George W. Bush and Adolf Hitler cosplayed as a medieval knight or crusader in propaganda images. This panel considers the overlap between settler (and/or White nationalist) ideology and medievalism. How has medievalism been evoked? How has it been twisted into a political tool?

Sessions organized by Sarah LaVoy-Brunette (sfl39@cornell.edu) and Brenna Duperron (brenna.duperron@unbc.ca)

Abstract submissions due September 15, 2025 to the ICMS Confex site:

https://icms.confex.com/icms/2026/prelim.cgi

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A response to: Magdalena Bieniak. Review of Stephen Langton, Stephen Langton’s Prologues to the Bible, ed. Mark Clark and Joshua Benson, trans. Mark Clark. Speculum 100/1 (2025): 260–62. doi:10.1086/733546

Author’s Response (Mark Clark, Catholic University of America)

In her review of our volume in the series Auctores Britannici Medii Aevi, Magdalena Bieniak states the following: “Clark’s central claim is that Langton used Peter Lombard’s lost biblical commentaries on the Pentateuch. This would mean Lombard’s glosses on the Psalms and Paul’s epistles were not his only exegetical works, as Ignatius Brady suspected in the ‘Prolegomena’ to his edition of Lombard’s Sentences (vol. 2 [1981], 7*). Clark’s theory would also show these lost commentaries had a long-lasting impact. Unfortunately, his proof does not stand up to scrutiny.” This statement, like the review itself, is false in some respects and misleading in others. In this brief response, I’ll show why. But because I know Bieniak to be a serious and accomplished manuscript scholar, my remarks will be rather more thorough than less, for her criticisms are to be taken and treated seriously.

In the volume in question, Joshua Benson and I presented the fruits of seven years of editorial work sorting out the order of Stephen Langton’s many lectures on Genesis. The heart of the volume, the “central claim” as it were, is establishing the order and development of Langton’s prologue introductions to Genesis and the Pentateuch (and by extension of his lectures on the same) over his three decades of teaching theology at Paris. That is what took us seven years to sort out and establish, and that is the main point and quality of the volume.

Over the course of those same seven years, we transcribed and sourced portions of his many lectures on Genesis itself, but in the volume we published only the prologues and accompanying translations. If their order and development was our central concern, publishing transcriptions and translations of his many prologue introductions to Genesis and the Pentateuch was our second main object. Those of us now editing Langton’s lectures on Genesis and most of the Old Testament are using the groundwork established by the Auctores volume as a guide to our current work, namely editing Langton’s actual lectures (as opposed to his prologues) in the order in which he gave them.

Continue reading

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Call for Papers – “Landscapes Lost and Found: Navigating in and out of the Medieval Italian City”

ICMS, 61st International Congress on Medieval Studies, May 14-16, 2026
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
Panel : “Landscapes Lost and Found: Navigating in and out of the Medieval Italian City”

This in-person panel explores how Italian literature, art, and culture reflect on the experience of navigating within and without the medieval city in an age of increasing intercultural connectivity. As city walls marked both division and porous exchange, so texts, images, and historical actors negotiated the boundaries between center and peripheries, built and natural environment, identity and alterity. From Dante’s political geography to Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s allegorical landscapes, from Boccaccio’s urban navigations to the journeys of Marco Polo and Saint Francis, this panel examines how past visions of movement through and beyond the city speak to today’s ecological and geopolitical crises.

Emphasizing interdisciplinary dialogue, we welcome a wide range of critical approaches—from ecocriticism and environmental history to political geography, art history, and the study of space and mobility. By bringing together diverse methodologies, the panel aims to foster conversation across disciplines and time periods. We especially encourage contributions that draw connections between medieval representations of movement, place, and boundaries, and contemporary questions of climate, migration, and the human shaping of landscape.

Please submit your paper proposal for consideration by session organizers directly on the Confex portal by Friday, September 15, 2025: https://icms.confex.com/icms/2026/prelim.cgi/Session/7157

Proposals must include the author’s name, affiliation and contact information; a title and an abstract (300 words); and a short description (50 words) that may be made public, if the proposal is accepted.<

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Call for Papers: “New Perspectives on the Viking Diaspora”

Call for Papers: “New Perspectives on the Viking Diaspora”
CfP: Leeds International Medieval Congress 2026 (6-9 July)
New Perspectives on the Viking Diaspora 

We are currently in a vibrant moment of interdisciplinary scholarship on the “Vikings” and the global network they established. Scandinavian settlement across much of Northern Europe and beyond is increasingly being understood as a “Viking Diaspora” of communities linked through shared elements of history, culture, and language. What was life like for Vikings outside of Scandinavia and how did they impact the many peoples and polities they interacted with, peacefully or otherwise?

This call seeks papers which offer a window into the current state of research on aspects of the Viking Diaspora in any relevant geographic region (e.g. Iceland and the North Atlantic, the British Isles, the Frankish Realm [esp. Normandy and Frisia], the Baltic, the Rus). We welcome proposals from those working in any discipline, including historical, literary, archaeological, and linguistic studies, as well as emerging evidence from STEM fields and beyond.

This series of sessions will be framed as a workshop in which works-in-progress and research updates are especially sought, we particularly encourage early career researchers to apply and share their work, including aspects of postgraduate studies. Talks will be 15-20 minutes at the IMC in Leeds, with the possibility of hybrid participation. The conference awards some bursaries to assist with costs.

Please submit a title for your paper and an abstract of no more than 200 words by 18 August to: jas309@cam.ac.uk and aeyeh19@nottingham.ac.uk
 
Organised by: Jake Stattel, Dept. of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, University of Cambridge; Emma Horne, Centre for the Study of the Viking Age, University of Nottingham

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Jobs For Medievalists

Assistant Professor in the History of Science & Technology with a Focus on Western Europe and/or its Empires

Position Description: The Department of History at Texas State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the History of Science & Technology with a focus on Western Europe and/or its empires (period specialization open). Preference will be given to candidates with experience in Applied History/Digital Humanities. The successful candidate will be expected to teach survey courses in Western/world civilizations and specialized undergraduate and graduate courses in the History of Science & Technology, to direct graduate theses and serve on graduate committees, and to participate actively in departmental programs, service, and governance. This position is part of a cluster hire in the History of Science & Technology.

Required Qualifications: A PhD in History or a related field (e.g., History of Science and Technology or European Studies) is required by the time of appointment. Candidates must demonstrate an active research agenda in the History of Science & Technology with a focus on Western Europe and/or its empires.

Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to candidates with experience in Applied History/Digital Humanities and to those who demonstrate an active research agenda with a scholarship record that complements the existing strengths of the History Department.

Application Procedures: Appointment date August 16, 2026. Salary is commensurate with experience. To guarantee full consideration, application materials must be received by October 1, 2025. Only applications submitted for this specific posting through the Texas State University website will be accepted and considered: https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/53035

A complete application includes:

  • A cover letter
  • A CV
  • Unofficial graduate transcripts
  • A writing sample
  • A sample syllabus for an upper-division undergraduate course in the History of Science & Technology

As part of our application process, we are requesting contact information for three (3) academic references who can provide insight into your skills and experiences. Please include the names and email addresses for your references in the Reference Letter section of the employment application.

Proposed Start Date: August 16, 2026

Review Date: The search committee will begin reviewing applications on October 1, 2025. The position will be open until filled.

Quick Link: https://jobs.hr.txstate.edu/postings/53035

Job Posting Number: 2026007TTL

Required Documents:

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Unofficial Transcripts (all in one document)
  4. Syllabi
  5. Writing Sample

Contact: Search Committee Chair, Dr. Joaquín Rivaya Martínez, jr59@txstate.edu

Website: https://www.txst.edu/history/news-events/job-opportunities.html

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MAA News – MAA @ Leeds

If you’re going to be at the Leeds International Medieval Congress this year, please join us on Tuesday, 8 July, 19.00-20.00 (Session 901) for the annual Medieval Academy Lecture, to be delivered by Xiaofei Tian (Department of East Asian Languages & Civilizations, Harvard University), “The Margins of Knowing: A Place for the Extraordinary in an Ordinary World.” Afterwards, join Prof. Tian and MAA governance and staff members for the Medieval Academy’s open-bar wine reception.

The Medieval Academy’s Graduate Student Committee roundtable will take place Monday, 7 July, 19:00-20:00 (Session 021): “How to Conference.” Participants include Carrie Beneš (New College of Florida), Kathryn Gerry (Bowdoin University, Maine), Carolin Gluchowski (Universität Hamburg), Rebekkah Hart (Case Western Reserve University, Ohio), Natalie Hopwood (University of Leeds), Megan Renz Perry (Yale University), and Liene Rokpelne (Latvijas Universitāte, Rīga / Valmieras muzejs).

We hope to see you there!

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MAA News – Upcoming Webinar

Thinking Queerly: South Asia and the Question of Prehistory
July 29th, 10am EDT

We are very pleased to announce a series of webinars honoring the winners of the MAA Inclusivity & Diversity Grants and Prizes: Mohamad Ballan (Article Prize in Critical Race Studies), Kartik Maini (Belle da Costa Greene Prize), Greg Carrier (Inclusivity & Diversity Research Grant) and Tirumular Narayanan (Inclusivity & Diversity Travel Grant). These webinars will be hosted by the MAA Inclusivity & Diversity Committee and are made possible by an Intention Foundry Learned Society Extended Engagement Microgrant from the American Council of Learned Societies.

The Inclusivity and Diversity Committee is proud to present the work of our annual prize winners. Please join us on Tuesday, July 29 at 10:00 am EST for an interactive webinar discussion with Kartik Maini, winner of The Belle Da Costa Greene Award. Named after the first manuscript librarian of the Pierpont Morgan collection, the first known person of color, and second woman to be elected a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, this travel award supports graduate students, emerging junior scholars, adjunct, and unaffiliated scholars. Kartik will present a talk on their scholarship titled, “Thinking Queerly: South Asia and the Question of Prehistory,” followed by a brief discussion led by I&D committee chair, Rachael Vause. The floor will then open to questions for our esteemed prize winner. We hope you will join us!

Click here to register.

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MAA News – Centennial Spotlight

Every month, we’ll be spotlighting two MAA Centennial Grant Projects. These twenty-one projects span the continent and reflect some of the best that Medieval Studies has to offer. We are so pleased to be able to support these symposia, performances, and digital initiatives as part of our Centennial celebrations.

Virtual Medieval Books in the Schools, University of Minnesota (PI: Michelle Hamilton). With this funding, the Center for Premodern Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities will be able to continue development of online resources to complement their in-person K-12 classroom presentations on the history of the book in the Middle Ages. The Medieval Book in the Schools classroom program has been running successfully for almost twenty years (initiated by Professor Susan Noakes in 2005). Primarily a program for elementary school students, program has recently expanded to include high school and undergraduate students. The MAA is pleased to be able to support this important programming.

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CSANA Virtual Summer Workshop

Putting Celtic into your Medieval Literature Survey

This two-day online workshop offers a tutorial in integrating medieval Irish and Welsh sources into a typical British Literature survey course for undergraduates. We will discuss the value of a broadly “insular” approach to the British Lit survey, offer ideas for combinations of Celtic and English texts and potential approaches to teaching them, and workshop participants’ course materials in a friendly forum for further discussion.

This workshop is free, though space is limited. It will be held on July 16 and July 17 at 10:30 EDT to 1:30 EDT. Please register here.

Georgia Henley is an Associate Professor of English at Saint Anselm College and an Associate of the Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures at Harvard. Her first book, Reimagining the Past in the Borderlands of Medieval England and Wales, was published by Oxford University Press in 2024.

Joey McMullen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research broadly considers the role of landscape and the natural world in the literature of the medieval North Atlantic, especially that of Ireland, England, and Wales.

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Symposium – Ritual Cultures of Medieval Religious Women

A symposium of new research on nuns, beguines, recluses, and other sisters.

DATE: 14-15 July 2025

HOSTED BY: Notre Dame Rome and the Medieval Institute of the University of Notre Dame.

ORGANIZERS: CJ Jones and Kristina Kummerer.

MODE: Hybrid. In-person at Notre Dame Rome (Via Ostilia, 15 – 00184, Roma, Italy). Virtual attendance through Zoom.

DESCRIPTION:

The last decade has witnessed an explosion of scholarship on religious and semi-religious women’s participation in the liturgy of the medieval Catholic church. Recent studies have cast new light on women’s direct participation in liturgical action, as well as their production and care of liturgical art, textiles, and books. Liturgical references in mystical literature and hagiography reveal how embodied practice fostered women’s access to the divine, and a broader interest in prayer practice expands study of women’s rituals beyond the bounds of the liturgical, narrowly defined. Lay women, tertiaries, and professed lay sisters all engaged in ritual devotions, both communal and private, albeit differently than enclosed nuns.

Thirteen international scholars across disciplines – history, musicology, liturgy, theology, and literature – will present new research on the ritual cultures of medieval religious women in Europe, defining both “ritual” and “religious” in broad terms to include the communal and individual ritual practices of enclosed nuns, beguines, tertiaries, anchoresses, and the communities with whom they interacted.

Both virtual and in-person participation is possible. Registration for all attendees is required, but free. For more information or to register, please visit the event webpage. The last day to register for in-person attendance is 7 July 2025.

Please email Kristina Kummerer (kkummere@nd.edu) with any questions or technological difficulties.

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