Carl Watkins

Carl Watkins is a Professor of British History at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with Magdalene College where he directs studies in history. His research focuses on medieval religious culture, particularly beliefs about the supernatural, theological concepts like purgatory, and the interplay between 'high' theology and popular religious practices. He supervises M.Phil and PhD students in medieval British and European religious and political history.

His teaching spans British political, religious, and social history from c.1000–1500 CE, alongside European history from c.900–1250. Key publications include History and the Supernatural in Medieval England (2007) and The Undiscovered Country (2013), which explore medieval perceptions of the afterlife and supernatural phenomena. Recent work addresses medieval wonder stories and the cultural significance of death and the dead.

Watkins has contributed to edited volumes on topics like medieval providence, landscape and belief, and the historiography of medieval social structures. His research bridges textual analysis with methodological inquiry, emphasizing how medieval people conceptualized divine intervention and the spiritual realm.