Religion

Maeve Callan

Assistant Professor of Religion

B.A., Pomona College, 1992
M.Phil., Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, 1994Callan
Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2002

Maeve B. Callan is Assistant Professor of Religion with a specialization in medieval Christianity and women’s religious history. Her dissertation, “‘No Such Art in This Land’: Heresy and Witchcraft in Ireland, 1310-1360,” explores Ireland’s handful of certifiable medieval heresy trials, focusing on the relations between the English, the Irish, and the Anglo-Irish and the role of the Church in these relations; tensions within the ecclesiastical hierarchy and between secular and spiritual authority; Ireland’s position within its European context ; the doctrinal as well as the political, cultural , ethnic and gender aspects of the alleged heresies, and the impact of heresy and witchcraft on a land that previously had little experience of either.

Prior to coming to Simpson, Dr. Callan taught for several years at Northwestern University, developing courses such as “The Margins and the Mainstream in Christian History,” “One Nation, Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and American Democracy,” and “Celtic Christianity.” She also taught courses on world religions, Christian mystical theology, and the feminine and the divine in Christianity, among others. She has published repeatedly on the female saints of Ireland and has given papers in Ireland and the United States on topics including medieval women mystics, childbirth and abortion miracles, and ethnic tensions and allegations of heresy. In addition to her longtime interests in medieval Christianity and women’s religious history, Dr. Callan increasingly is focused on contemporary religious issues, especially interfaith dialogue and the intersection of religion and public policy. She is delighted to join the Simpson community and is particularly impressed by students’ commitment to social justice and global awareness.

Last Updated: 11/18/11