Polly R. Ha

Polly R. Ha is an Associate Professor in the Department of History within the Arts & Sciences school at Duke University. Her office is located at 0044A Langford Building, Durham, NC 27708. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (2006) and a B.A. from Yale University (2002).

Her research focuses on Early Modern British History, particularly Puritan ecclesiastical politics, religious toleration, and Atlantic World Calvinism. Key themes include ecclesiastical independence, historical proportionality in religious scholarship, and the transnational spread of Reformed theology. Her work bridges English religious history with colonial contexts in Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2010-2024) reveals a consistent focus on ecclesiastical governance across three interconnected areas: (1) Late Elizabethan Puritan political theology, (2) Revolutionary-era church-state relations, and (3) Atlantic transmission of Calvinist ideas. Methodologically, she combines manuscript analysis with transnational frameworks, often challenging conventional narratives about persecution-driven migration by emphasizing godly globalization as a Puritan motive.

Her major works include the 2022 Oxford Press monograph Reformed Government Puritanism (co-authored with Moore and Frankot) and the 2017 critical edition The Puritans on Independence. Her 2015 article Godly Globalisation: Calvinism in Bermuda pioneered alternative models for understanding Puritan colonization.

Teaching includes HISTORY 190FS.04 (Topics in Focus Program) and cross-listed courses like CLST 210.01 (The Good Life) for Fall 2025.