About
Dr. Kenneth R G Austin serves as Associate Professor in Early Modern History within the Department of History (Historical Studies) at the University of Bristol's School of Humanities. His office is located at 2.45, 13 Woodland Road, Bristol, with contact available via +44 (0)117 928 7620 or kenneth.austin@bristol.ac.uk.
Dr. Austin specializes in late medieval and early modern European history, with particular focus on intellectual, religious, and cultural intersections between the Renaissance and Reformation periods. His research includes groundbreaking work on Jewish-Christian relations, exemplified by his monograph The Jews and the Reformation (Yale University Press, 2020), which examines Christian attitudes toward Jews across Western Europe from the late fifteenth to late seventeenth centuries. He currently researches correspondence and friendship networks during these transformative historical periods.
His academic output shows consistent specialization in Reformation studies (100%), seventeenth-century history (100%), monograph writing (75%), Renaissance scholarship (75%), Jewish studies (50%), Calvinism (50%), European history (50%), and Catholic studies (40%). With 61 total research outputs including books, chapters, and articles, his recent publications demonstrate continued scholarly engagement in biblical interpretation, Hebrew language in Reformation contexts, and Jewish intellectual history.
Dr. Austin has received recognition through 50 academic activities including conference presentations, workshops, and public talks. He has served in significant administrative roles including School Education Director for the School of Humanities (2020-2023), Programme Director of the MA in History (2010-2013), and Deputy Head of History/Undergraduate Programme Director (2014-2016). His external examination work spans multiple UK universities including Birmingham, Plymouth, Swansea, and Reading.
He teaches diverse courses ranging from The Early Reformation and Early Modern Italy to specialized units on Calvinism and religious toleration. Dr. Austin actively supervises graduate research on topics including food as religious identity marker in early modern Spain, seventeenth-century Catholic martyrs, male witches in England, and philosemitism in seventeenth-century England, reflecting the breadth of his scholarly interests and mentorship commitment.
