Author Archives: readinghistory

‘To err is human; to forgive, divine’ – Medieval popes and the concept of papal infallibility

Posted on January 11, 2019

By Professor Rebecca Rist. My research focuses on the history of religious culture and the medieval papacy, and especially the relationship between popes and specific social and religious minority groups, such as Jews (in my recent book, Popes and Jews, … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, European History, In the Media, Medieval History, News, Research | Tagged , , , , ,

Midnight Mass, the Stone Roses, and ‘cuddling boys’: Recollections of Christmastime and New Year’s Eve in teenage girls’ diaries, 1970-1998

Posted on December 20, 2018

by Amy Gower, PhD student. Christmas evokes a sense of nostalgia in many of us, as a holiday wrapped up in tradition, family, and the home. Through my research into the diaries of teenage girls from the 1970s, 80s and … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Special, modern history, News, Research, Students Page | Tagged , , , , , ,

‘A mixture of minds which cannot unite’: John Milton and no-fault divorce

Posted on November 16, 2018

by Dr Rachel Foxley The government’s current consultation (closing on 10 December) about making ‘no fault’ divorce quicker and easier might have drawn a robust contribution from the famous seventeenth-century poet and polemicist John Milton, if he were alive today. … Continue reading →

Posted in British History, Early Modern History, gender history, Intellectual History, News, Research | Tagged , , , ,

Magic, Medicine, Miracles: How Reading Abbey Helped to Invent Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2018

by Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers On Saturday 27 October, I had the privilege of giving a public lecture for the Friends of Reading Abbey, in the presence of the Mayor of Reading, Councillor Debs Edwards. The event took place in St … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Medical History, Medieval History, News, Research | Tagged , , , , , , ,

History and Theatre: Working with Reading Between the Lines

Posted on October 19, 2018

by Professor Lindy Grant Monday 8th October was the opening night of Henry II, the last in a cycle of three new plays about Reading Abbey and the dynasty who founded it, each focusing on a key historical figure: King … Continue reading →

Posted in News