Christopher W Close

Christopher W. Close is Professor of History at Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, where he has taught since 2012. Specialising in the political and religious history of early-modern Europe, he focuses on the Holy Roman Empire, the Reformation, and urban politics between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Education

• BA, University of Iowa
• PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests

Close’s scholarship interrogates how religious change intersected with political authority in cities and principalities of the Holy Roman Empire and the Low Countries. His work emphasises networks of communication, alliance formation, and the negotiated nature of confessional and constitutional transformation. He explores state formation through the lens of shared sovereignty, corporate alliances, and urban autonomy.

Publication Trends

Across more than twenty peer-reviewed articles and two major monographs, Close traces the evolution of imperial governance, confessional politics, and urban identity. Recurring themes include the agency of imperial cities, the fluidity of sovereignty, and the role of collective memory in shaping Protestant identity after 1517. His most recent outputs extend these inquiries into comparative European frameworks and methodological reflections on historical writing.

Awards & Grants

• Teaching Innovation Grant, Saint Joseph's University (2024)
• Faculty Merit Award for Research, Saint Joseph's University (2022)
• DAAD Michael J. Morris Grant for Scholarly Research (2017–18)
• Franklin Research Grant, American Philosophical Society (2014)
• Several internal Saint Joseph’s University grants for research, curriculum development, and teaching excellence

Current Editorial & Professional Service

Close serves as Subject Editor for Religion for Routledge Resources Online – The Renaissance World, curating scholarly content and guiding digital humanities initiatives in early-modern studies.