Joe Hardwick

Joe Hardwick is a Professor in History at Northumbria University, specializing in modern British imperial, environmental, and religious history. His research examines how societies interact with ecological crises, non-human animals, and religious rituals in times of crisis. He is Secretary of the Ecclesiastical History Society and has authored influential works such as An Anglican British World (2014) and Prayer, Providence and Empire (2021). His recent work explores the intersection of animal disease outbreaks and human epidemics through religious frameworks.

Education: PhD in History (2009). Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2011).

Research Interests: Animal history, imperial religious practices, environmental rituals, and the role of prayer during crises. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary ecological challenges, emphasizing how past communities addressed interlinked human and animal health crises.

Key Publications: Recent articles include analyses of 19th-century rinderpest outbreaks and 20th-century Anglican animal rituals. His 2021 book redefined understanding of communal worship's role in imperial cohesion.

Awards: None explicitly listed, though his academic contributions are widely recognized.

Advising & Grants: Supervising Laura Brown’s PhD on early 20th-century spiritualist animal advocacy. Active in securing research funding for projects on colonial religious networks.

Labs/Teams: Leads Northumbria's research on religious responses to environmental crises, collaborating with the Ecclesiastical History Society.