iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jon Chant @jonchant.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I would be curious to know if a Dom Pedro Coutinho ever crops up in relation to holding or retaking Hormuz?

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Another @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social presenter at #EMBIC2026 was PhD researcher @jonchant.bsky.social on 'Nobody Expects the English Inquisition: collaboration and censorship in seventeenth-century Lisbon' #skystorians #bookhistory #earlymodern #CathHist #history #catholicism #Inquisition

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

CCS PhD researchers @maddyphillipps.bsky.social and @jonchant.bsky.social are talking at the York Catholic History Day on 6 June about book networks in the Bar Convent library and the library of the English College at Lisbon #skystorians #history #bookhistory #catholicism #CathHist

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

‘Radical Poverty: The Capuchins and Catholicism in Britain, 1850-2022' by @durhamtheology.bsky.social’s @liamtemple.bsky.social is out now! Order here and save 30%: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/radical-p... #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

🎺IT HATH ARRIVED!🎺 The official MEMSA stash drop is now available to buy! You have 7 days to get what you want before it disappears into the mystical Otherworlds once more… 🤭 redbirdapparel.co.uk/collections/...

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

🎺 Santiago García Sosa from Leiden University will joining us on 2 February to present on Queenship, Conduct, Counsel, and the Restoration of Order in Martín de Córdoba's Jardin de nobles doncellas! Mark your calendars for 6pm, 7 Owengate! 🎺 (And we have more news coming today too... 👀)

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

🎺 Don't miss our FIRST TALK OF TERM, coming this Monday, where Davide Salmoiraghi from the University of Cambridge will be presenting on 'The best knight that ever was': The Old Norse Lives of Hector of Troy! Remember to come by 7 Owengate at 6pm so you don't miss out on the action! 🎺

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Just one week left to submit papers for the 5th Early Modern British and Irish Catholicism conference! Proposals are welcome from researchers at all career stages working on the 16th to the late 18th century #skystorians #CathHist #history #bookhistory #catholicism #nuntastic

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

🎺 Are you interested in exploring Connections, Conversation, Contention: Encounters in the Medieval and Early Modern World? Then consider submitting a paper to the 20th annual conference, taking place 13 and 14 July 2026 at St John’s College, Durham University!

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Our final talk of term will be next Monday, 8 December, featuring Eugenia Vorobeva from the University of Oxford! She will be presenting her paper, "Devil in the Detail: Language and Laughter in the Passio Domini Homily." Come along to 7 Owengate at 6pm to see her presentation! ✨

Devil in the Detail: Language and Laughter in the Passio Domini Homily Eugenia Vorobeva - University of Oxford This paper takes as its starting point a passage from the vernacular Passio domini homily preserved in the Icelandic Homily Book (c.1200). The passage in question describes the horrors from which Christ delivers his people; following other things, he finally delivers the human race ‘from the devices and laughter of the devil’ (fra velom oc hlatre diofolsens). The passage is artfully crafted: it is alliterative, it is rhythmical, the combination of its style and substance can be seen as forcing the audience into the into the drama of salvation and the significance of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The devil’s laughter, being the final item on the list, seems to be of a special significance; however, this topos is rather rare in the corpus of Old Norse religious literature. This paper considers the topos of the devil’s laughter within Old Norse religious texts by considering a number of instances of its use and tracing its origins to the Latin sources. While medieval theologians use a range of various words to indicate different types of laughter, Old Norse tends to translate all of them with the verb hlæja which, in its turn, has a number of connotation within the corpus. By further examining the link between the devil’s laughter, its vocabulary, and its stylistic devices in connection to broader the contemporary literary context, this paper addresses the intricate interplay between emotion, style, and theology in vernacular prose writings of medieval Iceland. 6pm Monday 8 December
7 Owengate on Palace Green
Everyone Welcome!

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Jon Chant @jonchant.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

There are a few more in the Lisbon Collection as well!

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John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

A devotional book from Queen Catherine of Braganza’s personal library held at @UshawLibrary Today is both her nameday & birthday as she was born #otd 25 Nov 1638, the feast of Catherine of Alexandria.

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

CCS and @durhamtheology.bsky.social PhD researcher @maddyphillipps.bsky.social recently spoke on early modern English Catholic women and the use of missionary texts at the 'Women and the Household in the Early Modern Book Trade' conference in Antwerp #skystorians #bookhistory #catholicism

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

James Kelly of @durhamtheology.bsky.social recently appeared on the Gospel Simplicity YouTube channel to talk about his new book, The Catholic Reformation: A Very Short Introduction. You can watch it here: youtu.be/5Y0QQKBYMqc?... #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism

youtu.be

The Untold Story of the Catholic Reformation | Dr. James Kelly

YouTube video by Gospel Simplicity

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

🎺 HEAR YE, HEAR YE! 🎺 We are proud to announce the official MEMSA seminar series term card for this autumn! Make sure to put the dates in your calendar so you don't miss our amazing speakers! We can't wait to see you there!

Mondays 6pm at 7 Owengate Monday 13 October
Isaiah Silvers (Durham University)
Auxilios: "Reform" and "Aid" in the Hospital Institutions of New Spain, c. 1730-1770
Monday 27 October
Lottie Thompson (Durham University)
Medieval Durham and the Ancient World: Lawrence of Durham’s Dialogi and Virgil’s Eclogues and Georgics.
Monday 24 November
Alastair Forbes (Independent Scholar)
The Vision of Boso and Moral Soundscapes in Simeon of Durham's Libellus de exordio
Monday 10 November
Ido Kons (University of Cambridge)
Manuscript Transmission and the Spread of Learning in Late Anglo-Saxon England, c.950-1066
Monday 8 December
Eugenia Vorobeva (University of Oxford)
Devil in the Detail: Language and Laughter in the Passio Domini Homily

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Durham University @durham.ac.uk · 21/10/2025

Dr James Kelly @durhamtheology.bsky.social @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the Clare and Hawley Chair in the History of Catholicism - the first in the UK dedicated specifically to Catholic history 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...

durham.ac.uk

First Clare and Hawley Chair in the History of Catholicism appointed - Durham University

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Our next talk of term will be from our other co-chair from last year, the amazing Lottie Thompson! She will be presenting on "Medieval Durham and the Ancient World: Lawrence of Durham’s Dialogi and Virgil’s Eclogues and Georgics." See her talk on Monday, 27 October at 6p, 7 Owengate! See you there!

Medieval Durham and the Ancient World: Lawrence of Durham’s Dialogi and Virgil’s Eclogues and Georgics. ‘If it is the rocks, if it is the beasts, if it is the other things of this vast grove that you wish to know, what Virgil could sing of so much?’ Lawrence of Durham (d. 1154) was an Anglo-Latin poet and monk living in Durham in the first half of the twelfth century. In his day Lawrence’s writing was widely circulated, but unfortunately this popularity did not stand the test of time and today he is very little known. This paper will introduce you to the works and world of this major regional author more generally, before focusing on one of Lawrence’s poems, the Dialogi – a verse dialogue written around 1143. This paper will explore how Lawrence’s knowledge of both Virgil’s Eclogues and Georgics expressly shaped his writing on medieval Durham in this poem, particularly concerning his exploration of the topography of the city and the ongoing socio-political conflicts of the day. 6p Monday 27 October 7 Owengate on Palace Green Everyone Welcome!

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Do YOU want to be on the MEMSA exec? ✨ We're looking for two community course convenors this year! If you're interested in getting involved, send an email to memsa.committe@durham.ac.uk by Friday, 24th October! We look forward to having you join us! 💕

Durham University’s Medieval and Early Modern Student Association (MEMSA) is an interdisciplinary student-run association attended by postgraduate students in the faculties of English, History, Archaeology, MLAC, Art History, and more. We are currently looking for expressions of interest from all postgraduate students who may wish to join the MEMSA Committee for the current 2025/26 academic year.

The MEMSA Community Course: Taking place during the spring/Easter term, the MEMSA Community Course involves eight evening sessions and brings together researchers and the local community. Courses tend to run for two hours, with each session run by a different tutor. While usually the class will take a lecture/seminar format, this is flexible; creativity and collaboration are encouraged, and a call for tutors will be sent out later in the academic year.

Community Course Convenors: The community course convenors are responsible for organising the above course, including choosing the theme, applying for funding, advertising for speakers, and compiling the final programme. This position is usually shared between two people, so you can apply individually or as a pair.

If you are interested in applying, or if you have any questions, please email
memsa.committee@durham.ac.uk
with a brief statement about your interest and how you think you could contribute to the role. No CV is required, and we welcome applications from all Durham medieval and early modern enthusiasts, regardless of previous experience. Any new committee member will be supported in the transition to their new role by the outgoing and continuing committee members.

DEADLINE: Friday 24th October

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Do you want to stay up to date on all things medieval and early modern at Durham? Join the weekly MEMSA email list! ✨ The manual URL is forms.office.com/e/KPARhd0Cmf (Also I'm an AI anti but the ✨ emoji was mine first, sue me—)

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Our first talk of this year's Michaelmas term will be delivered by one of the MEMSA chairs from last year, Isaiah Silvers! He will be discussing 'Auxilios: "Reform" and "Aid" in the Hospital Institutions of New Spain, c. 1730-1770'. Hope to see you all on Monday 13th October at 6pm!

Auxilios: ‘Reform’ and ‘Aid’ in the Hospital Institutions of New Spain, c. 1730-1770 Isaiah Silvers - Durham University 6p Monday 13 October 7 Owengate on Palace Green Everyone Welcome! In the midst of the reformist atmosphere of the mid-eighteenth-century Spanish Empire a significant part of the administration of the vast viceroyalty of New Spain involved the management of an extensive system of hospital institutions. These included foundling homes, lazarettos, almshouses, and multi-purpose casas de misericordia. This paper investigates how metropolitan ideologies of reform were transmitted and transformed by colonial officials and hospital administrators in New Spain. Through this inquiry, I will propose some alternative models to the received narrative of church-crown competition. Principally, I will suggest that new poor relief practices of this period in New Spain, proceeding through ad-hoc coalitions, contributed the growth of associational cultures among propertied criollos, who in turn deployed the voguish notions of ‘reform’ and ‘aid’ to promote mercantile liberalisation, defend chattel slavery, and enforce racial exclusions in the civic sphere.

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

We will be holding our first social of the year at the oldest pub in Durham on Tuesday 7th October at 7pm. Everyone is welcome, whether you are studying the medieval or early modern period or just interested in it! Come along to meet some fellow postgrads and celebrate the new academic year!

We are excited to announce the first MEMSA social of the year will take place on Tuesday, 7th October at 7pm at the Dun Cow (Snug Bar), the oldest pub in Durham.

If you're new to MEMSA, we are Durham University's Medieval and Early Modern Student Association. MEMSA is an interdisciplinary association attended by postgraduate students in the departments of English, History, Archaeology, MLAC, Art History, and more.

Everyone is welcome at the social! Whether you are studying the medieval or early modern period yourself or are just interested in it, it’s a great chance to meet some other postgrads with similar interests at Durham! See you there!

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Liam Temple @liamtemple.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Delighted to have hosted a @britishacademy.bsky.social @leverhulme.ac.uk funded two-day workshop on Catholic archives last week at Durham, with colleagues from across the UK joined by those from the USA, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Italy and Switzerland to discuss the future of the field (1/2)

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Liam Temple @liamtemple.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Newly published: "Grace, Piety and Memory: The Material Culture of British Catholics 1534-1850", a guide by the British Catholic Material Culture Research Group. More info and free download link here: britishartnetwork.org.uk/research/bri... #skystorians #catholicism #skyhistory #materialculture

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Durham MEMSA @durhammemsa.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

At the beginning of this week we hosted the 19th Annual MEMSA Conference. We would like to thank our supporters: @sshmedicine.bsky.social, Durham's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, @durhamhistory.bsky.social, Durham Castle and of course @imems.bsky.social

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

CCS Assistant Prof @liamtemple.bsky.social attended the Provincial Assembly of the Australian Capuchins in Sydney last week. He presented his research on the friars' work amongst migrant communities and led a workshop on Franciscan understandings of history #skystorians #skyhistory #catholicism

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Maddy Keightley-Phillipps @maddyphillipps.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Last week, I had the opportunity to do some research in the historic library of the English Convent in Bruges. Thank you so much to @catholicrs.bsky.social for making it possible! #nuntastic

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Maddy Keightley-Phillipps @maddyphillipps.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Speaking about the involvement of early modern English Catholic women in the illicit transnational distribution of Catholic books at the ‘Tudor England and the Antwerp Book Trade’ conference in Antwerp last week! #CathHist #bookhistory

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Eilish Gregory, member of the @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social team, has recently been in Italy visiting various archives for her research about the Little Company of Mary, including those of Propaganda Fide #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism #nuntastic

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Liam Temple @liamtemple.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Delighted that my @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social monograph is live on their website for pre-order, & the stunning front cover has also been revealed, featuring two of my fave images from the archives! URL: bloomsbury.com/uk/radical-p... #skystorians #history #catholicism #capuchin #skyhistory

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Incoming CCS PhD researcher Aurelia Eburne has delivered a paper about Richard Lassels and the Catholic contribution to early Grand Tour travel literature at the @catholicrs.bsky.social annual conference #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Helen Knight, PhD researcher at the CCS, gave a paper at the @catholicrs.bsky.social annual conference about her research on women religious and girls’ education at the start of the 20th century #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism #nuntastic

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

PhD researcher @jonchant.bsky.social of @durhamtheology.bsky.social gave a paper at @catholicrs.bsky.social’s annual conference about his work on the library of the exile English college at Lisbon and the transnational movement of books #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism

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Conor Brockbank @conorbrockbank.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

A great way to end the second day of the @catholicrs.bsky.social with a fascinating panel with Ben Halligan (Wolverhampton), Scholastica Jacob (St Antony’s Priory) & @jonchant.bsky.social on institutions & custodianship

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Lucia Luck, CCS-supported PhD researcher at @durhamtheology.bsky.social has given a paper at the @catholicrs.bsky.social annual conference on John Lingard, Unitarians and radical politics in Liverpool in the 19th century #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism

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Conor Brockbank @conorbrockbank.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Some great papers by @maddyphillipps.bsky.social, Esther Rollinson (Manchester) and Alejandro Sell Maestro (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) in the first panel of the day at the @catholicrs.bsky.social exploring different aspects of new and exciting work on Catholic women’s networks.

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

PhD researcher @maddyphillipps.bsky.social of @durhamtheology.bsky.social has been talking at the @catholicrs.bsky.social annual conference about early modern English Catholic women and their use of missionary texts #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism #nuntastic

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IMEMS Durham @imems.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Work with medieval manuscripts or early printed books? Our flexible 1-week online courses are designed with you in mind. Develop your skills in the archives, wherever you are in the world. 🌏💻 Learn more: imemsdurhamlearn.com/ourcourses/

imemsdurhamlearn.com

Our courses

At IMEMS Learning Centre we aim to provide a range of high quality online courses that equip learners with skills and in-depth deep dives into aspects of the Medieval and Early Modern periods. Cour…

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

#CFP the fifth early modern British and Irish Catholicism conference. The conference will be held in London 29 June-1 July 2026. Proposal deadline: 21 Jan 2026 www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins... #skystorians #history #Catholicism #CathHist #nuntastic @imems.bsky.social

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History of Catholicism @ccshistorycatholic.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Maddy Keightley-Phillipps, PhD researcher at @durhamtheology.bsky.social, is currently visiting the 17th-century English convent in Bruges to investigate their library thanks to support from @catholicrs.bsky.social #skystorians #CathHist #history #Catholicism #nuntastic @durhammemsa.bsky.social

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John McCafferty @jdmccafferty.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

8 July 1536: Thomas Cromwell made Baron Cromwell of #Wimbledon (Frick)

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British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Libraries are a pretty cool place to be right now. (We have air con).

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