Time and the Medieval Liturgical Calendar: Unlocking the Secrets of Medieval Timekeeping

Have you ever wondered how medieval scholars tracked time without modern technology? Or how the complexities of lunar cycles and solar years dictated the sacred rhythms of life? In this dynamic, intensive, and hands-on graduate "crash course," Dr. Anthony Harris will take you deep into the fascinating world of medieval (Julian) liturgical calendars and Easter calculations—an intricate system known as computus that shaped religious, social, and intellectual life for centuries. Course materials, meals, and plenty of caffeine will be provided for all participants. Space in this workshop is limited, and preference will be given to graduate students in any field of Medieval Studies. Please register at the link above by Sunday, 2 March 2025. Sponsored by the Medieval Studies Interdisciplinary Workshop and the Committee on Medieval Studies.

About the instructor: Dr. Anthony Harris is a visiting Fulbright scholar with the Committee on Medieval Studies. He is a fellow of Clare Hall (University of Cambridge), a visiting fellow of Kellogg College (Oxford), a Research Fellow at Regent’s Park College (University of Oxford), a visiting academic at the Department of Computer Science and Technology (Cambridge), and a Recipient of the British Academy Ker Award in Manuscript Studies (2025-2027). After a long career as a computer scientist, he embarked on a second career in academia as a mature student with a focus on the humanities. He completed his M.A. in English Literature at the University of Oxford, his M.A. Res. in Medieval Studies at the University of Reading (England), and his Ph.D. at Sidney Sussex (University of Cambridge). His 2021 dissertation addressed early medieval mathematics and astronomy in the Latin West (the ‘science’ of computus), and his current research focuses on the intersection of the sciences and the humanities.