Lyndal Roper

Lyndal Roper is the Regius Professor of History at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Oriel College. She holds dual expertise in early modern German history and gender studies, with a focus on the Reformation, witchcraft, and cultural history. Roper earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne, pursued studies at the University of Tübingen, and completed her doctorate at King's College London. A pioneer in interdisciplinary approaches, her work bridges psychoanalytic theory and historical analysis. Notably, she authored Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet (2016), which won the Gerde-Henkel Prize, and is completing a major study on the German Peasants’ War (1524-1525).

Her academic roles include convening the Early Modern German History Workshop, supervising DPhil students, and serving as a Fellow in multiple national academies. Roper’s research spans sixteenth-century art, material culture, and gender dynamics, with recent projects analyzing Luther’s personal and cultural legacy. She holds honorary fellowships at the University of Melbourne and the Brandenburg Akademie der Wissenschaften, reflecting her international influence.

Research interests: Luther’s Reformation, gender history, witchcraft trials, and early modern German culture. Recent publications include Living I Was Your Plague: Martin Luther’s World and Legacy (2021) and Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War (2025). She actively advises graduate students on topics ranging from witchcraft to religious networks in early modern Europe.