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Lyndal Anne Roper (born 28 May 1956 in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
) is an Australian historian and academic. She works on German history of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, and has written a biography of
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
. Her research centres on gender and the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, witchcraft, and visual culture. In 2011, she was appointed to the Regius Chair of History at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
, the first woman and first Australian to hold this position.


Education

Roper graduated from the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...
in history and philosophy in 1977 after which she received the first Caltex Woman Graduate of the Year scholarship and an additional scholarship from the University Women Graduates' association. An award from the
German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; ), founded in 1925, is a joint organization of German universities and student bodies to foster their international relations. Since 1 January 2020, the president has been Joybrato Mukherjee. Organisa ...
(DAAD) allowed her to undertake study in Germany. During her initial nearly two years in Germany, Roper studied with Heiko Oberman at the
University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...
, and worked with Ingrid Batori and Hans-Christoph Rublack. She then moved to
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
where in 1985 she completed her
PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
, supervised by Robert W. Scribner. Her thesis was titled 'Work, marriage and sexuality: Women in Reformation Augsburg'.


Career

Before completing her doctorate, Roper began a Junior Research Fellowship at
Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor ...
at the University of Oxford (1983–6). In 1986, she took up a non-permanent Lectureship at King's College London, and moved in 1987 to a permanent post at
Royal Holloway Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...
, University of London, becoming Professor in 1999 and establishing (with Amanda Vickery) the Bedford Centre for the History of Women and Gender. She has been Fellow of the
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin The Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin () is an interdisciplinary institute founded in 1981 in Grunewald, Berlin, Germany, dedicated to research projects in the natural and social sciences. It is modeled after the original IAS in Princeto ...
(1991–2) and has held Visiting positions at the Eisenberg Centre, Ann Arbor, the
University of Western Australia University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Crawley, Western Australia, Crawley, a suburb in the City of Perth local government area. UW ...
, the
Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...
, Canberra, the
Freie Universität Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...
, and the Max Planck Institut, Göttingen. In 2002, she took up a Lectureship and Fellowship at
Balliol College Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and ar ...
, Oxford. She is currently Regius Professor of History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of
Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...
. She is an Honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and of
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...
, and an editor of ''
History Workshop Journal The ''History Workshop Journal'' is a British academic history journal published by Oxford University Press. ''History Workshop'' was founded in 1976 by Raphael Samuel and others involved in the History Workshop movement. Originally sub-titled " ...
''.


Books


''Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War''

''Summer of Fire and Blood'' is the first English-language study of the
German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt () was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It was Europe's largest and most widespread popular uprising befor ...
in a generation.


''Living I Was Your Plague: Martin Luther's World and Legacy''

In ''Living I Was Your Plague'', Roper explores some of the more controversial aspects of Martin Luther's personality - his use of vulgar language, his pugilism, and his rampant
anti-Semitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
. The work also analyses the images of Luther created by the artist Lucas Cranach that have become so instantly recognisable, showing how Luther carefully created the image of himself that he wanted to present to the world. Roper ends by assessing Luther's legacy in more recent years, in particular how he was presented in the former East Germany and how he was celebrated during the 2017 quincentenary year of the 95 Theses.


''Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet''

Roper's ''Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet'', has been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Czech and Dutch; in Germany it became a best-seller. Published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the posting of the 95 Theses and the start of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, Roper's biography is one of the first to locate Luther within his social and cultural context, foregrounding his physicality and thus seeking to understand his theology in new ways. The work was shortlisted for both the
Wolfson History Prize The Wolfson History Prizes are literary awards given annually in the United Kingdom to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public. Prizes are given annually for two or three exceptional work ...
and the Elizabeth Longford Prize.


''The Witch in the Western Imagination''

Exploring how witches and witchcraft have been portrayed through art and literature, ''The Witch in the Western Imagination'' builds on Roper's previous works to explain why witches are so often represented as old hags. Yet the figure of the witch is not always portrayed in a negative light, and she might be an individual who could stand up to authority and even represent the community itself. By delving into the importance of 'fantasy' to the interpretation of witches and witchcraft, Roper's nuanced study interprets 'how individuals made sense of witchcraft, why the figure of the witch could arouse such intense emotion, and why she could be used in so many ways.'


''Witch Craze: Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany''

Witch Craze explores the role of unconscious fantasy in history by taking four case studies of witch hunting in southern Germany, the region with the highest number of executions of people accused as witches. Using extensive archival sources, including original trial transcripts, the book studies the psychology of witch-hunting, arguing that what powered these witch-hunts were fears surrounding fertility. Roper examines 'why it was mostly older women that were the victims of witch crazes, why they confessed to crimes, and how the depiction of witches in art and literature has influenced the characterization of elderly women in our own culture.' The book has been translated into German with Beck (Hexenwahn: Geschichte einer Verfolgung) and was awarded the Roland H Bainton Prize in 2005.


''Oedipus and the Devil: Witchcraft, Religion and Sexuality in Early Modern Europe''

A collection of nine interconnected essays, ''Oedipus and the Devil'' explores subjects ranging from the literary culture of the sixteenth century, to early-modern sexual attitudes and ideas regarding femininity and masculinity, to issues surrounding the complex development of marriage, and the use of psychoanalysis in studying witchcraft. Roper examines why a woman would kill her child, why someone would confess to living with the devil like husband and wife, and why a famous banker might employ a village
clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the claimed ability to acquire information that would be considered impossible to get through scientifically proven sensations, thus classified as extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense". Any person who is claimed to ...
('Dorf hellseherin'). The work has been translated into German with Fischer Taschenbuch (Ödipus und der Teufel: Körper und Psyche in der Frühen Neuzeit) and is widely cited.


''The Holy Household: Women and Morals in Reformation Augsburg''

Roper's first book questioned the ways in which the Reformation changed gender relations, focussing on the case study of
Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
, one of the most important cities of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. Exploring the idea of 'civic righteousness,' Roper argued that the Reformation developed a theology of gender whereby the roles of men and women were clearly distinct within the vision of the 'holy household.' Whilst previously the effect of the Reformation on women was regarded as beneficial, this book argues that the status of women was instead worsened. The book has been translated into German and has been reprinted several times.


Awards and honors

In 2016, Roper won the Gerda Henkel Prize for lifetime achievement in history. Currently she holds a Humboldt Research Award (associated with the Free University Berlin) for research in Germany. She is Honorary Fellow of the History Department, University of Melbourne, Fellow of the
Australian Academy of the Humanities The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia. It operates as an independent not-for-profit organisation partly funded by the Australi ...
(2009), Fellow of the British Academy (2011), and Fellow of the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin (2016). She also holds a Honorary Doctorates from the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...
(2013) and the
University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis''; German: ''Universität Basel'') is a public research university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest univ ...
(2021). *2021-3, Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship *2021, Honorary Doctorate in Theology,
University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis''; German: ''Universität Basel'') is a public research university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest univ ...
*2021, Lisa Jardine Lecture,
Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...
*2020, The Natalie Zemon Davis Lectures,
Central European University Central European University (CEU; , ) is a private research university in Vienna. The university offers graduate and undergraduate programs in the social sciences and humanities, which are accredited in Austria and the United States. The univ ...
*2019,
Humboldt Prize The Humboldt Research Award (), also known informally as the Humboldt Prize, is an award given by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany to internationally renowned scientists and scholars who work outside of Germany in recognition of ...
*2017, Laurence Stone Lectures,
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
*2016, Mitglied Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften *2016, Gerda Henkel Preis *2015, Wiles Lectures,
Queen's University of Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
*2015-8, Chair of Section H9,
British Academy The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the sa ...
*2013, Honorary Doctorate, University of Melbourne *2011, Fellow, British Academy *2010, Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne *2009, Fellow,
Australian Academy of the Humanities The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia. It operates as an independent not-for-profit organisation partly funded by the Australi ...
*2005, Roland Bainton Prize for Witch Craze *2000–12, Joint Editor, '' Past & Present'' *Honorary Fellow,
Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor ...
, Oxford;
Balliol College Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and ar ...
, Oxford


Personal life

Roper has a son with fellow historian Nicholas Stargardt. In May 2016, Roper was one of 300 prominent historians, including
Simon Schama Sir Simon Michael Schama ( ; born 13 February 1945) is an English historian and television presenter. He specialises in art history, Dutch history, Jewish history, and French history. He is a professor of history and art history at Columbia Uni ...
and
Niall Ferguson Sir Niall Campbell Ferguson, ( ; born 18 April 1964)Biography
Niall Ferguson
, who were signatories to a letter to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', telling voters that if they chose to leave the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
on 23 June, they would be condemning Britain to irrelevance.


Selected works

*''Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War'' (
Basic Books Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1950 and located in New York City, now an imprint of Hachette Book Group. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and his ...
, 2025), . *''Living I Was Your Plague: Martin Luther's World and Legacy'' (
Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial ...
, 2021). *''Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet'' (The Bodley Head, 2016) * ''The Witch in the Western Imagination'' (
University of Virginia Press The University of Virginia Press (or UVaP) is a university press A university press is an academic publishing house specializing in monographs and scholarly journals. They are often an integral component of a large research university. They pu ...
, 2012). xi+240pp
review
*"Witchcraft and the Western Imagination," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'', Vol. 16 (December 2006), pp. 117–41. Claims that
demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or occultism. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may be n ...
could form part of a literature of entertainment
review in Jstor
*''Witch Craze: Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany'' (
Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...
, 2004), . 362pp. * ''Dreams and History: The Interpretation of Dreams from Ancient Greece to Modern Psychoanalysis'' (ed. with Daniel Pick) (East Sussex: Brunner-Routledge, 2004) 276pp. * ''Religion and Culture in Germany (1400–1800)'' (Posthumously collected essays of Robert W. Scribner) (Leiden: Brill, 2001)
review
*"Evil imaginings and fantasies: Child-witches and the end of the witch-craze," ''Past and Present'', Vol. 167 (May 2000), pp. 107–39
"Witchcraft and fantasy in early modern Germany"
(''Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe: Studies in Culture and Belief'') (Past & Present Publications) (Cambridge, 1996), ed. by Jonathan Barry, Marianne Hester, and Gareth Roberts. *''Oedipus and the Devil: Witchcraft, Sexuality and Religion in Early Modern Europe'' (Routledge, 1994) *''The Holy Household: Women and Morals in Reformation Augsburg.'' (Clarendon Press, 1989, 1991). Claims that the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
significantly worsened the situation of European women
review in History Todayreview in Jstor
*''Disciplines of Faith: Studies in Religion, Politics, and Patriarchy'' (with Jim Obelkevich and
Raphael Samuel Raphael Elkan Samuel (26 December 19349 December 1996) was a British Marxist historian and author, described by Stuart Hall as "one of the most outstanding, original intellectuals of his generation". Samuel helped create the History Workshop m ...
) (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1987)


References


External links


Lyndal Roper, History Faculty WebsiteLyndal Roper, Balliol College WebsiteLuther: Sex, Marriage and Motherhood by Lyndal RoperDiscussion with Melvin Bragg as panelist on In Our Time – Witchcraft
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roper, Lyndal 1956 births Living people Academics from Melbourne Alumni of King's College London Australian women historians Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Fellows of Oriel College, Oxford Fellows of the British Academy Fellows of the Royal Historical Society Historians of witchcraft Regius Professors of History (University of Oxford) University of Melbourne alumni University of Tübingen alumni 20th-century Australian historians 20th-century Australian non-fiction writers 20th-century Australian women writers 21st-century Australian historians 21st-century Australian non-fiction writers 21st-century Australian women writers Historians of Protestantism Reformation historians Australian expatriates in England Fellows of the Australian Academy of the Humanities History journal editors