Josh Timmermann

Josh Timmermann is a Sessional Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia (Faculty of Arts). He holds a Ph.D. (2021), M.A. (2015), and B.A. (Hons., 2013) from UBC. His research focuses on intellectual, cultural, and reception history of Late Antiquity and early medieval Europe, particularly Carolingian ecclesiastical reforms and patristic authority. He has taught diverse courses at UBC and the University of Victoria, spanning European medieval history, world history, and specialized topics like slavery in antiquity and Viking studies.

Research Interests: Timmermann's work explores the interplay of theology, politics, and textual tradition in the Carolingian era. Key themes include:

• Reception of Augustine of Hippo and early Church Fathers
• Construction of orthodoxy through canon law
• Medieval historiography and concepts of temporality
• Manuscript culture and authority in premodern societies

Publications: His scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on Carolingian engagement with patristic texts, analyzed through manuscripts, council records, and theological treatises. Recent works examine how medieval writers curated patristic authority to legitimize reforms, with emerging attention to digital humanities methodologies in textual criticism.

Awards & Recognition:

• International Association of Patristic Studies Scholarship (2023)
• Wallace Johnson First Book Fellowship (2022)
• David W. Strangway Fellowship (2018, 2019)
• SSHRC Bombardier Scholarship (2013)
• Multiple teaching awards at UBC

Academic Contributions: Timmermann has supervised two honours theses on medieval reception history and hospital governance. He co-organized international workshops including the UBC Medieval Workshop (2019, 2024) and a Peter Wall Institute roundtable on visual literacy. His cross-departmental teaching reflects interdisciplinary engagement with Near Eastern studies, Nordic history, and medical humanities.