Sara Butler

Sara Butler is a Professor and King George III Chair in British History at The Ohio State University, and Director of the Center for Historical Research. She holds a PhD from Dalhousie University (2001) and previously taught at Loyola University New Orleans. Her expertise spans Medieval History, Women’s/Gender/Sexuality History, Religion in History, and Legal History. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and recipient of the Sutherland Prize (2006).

Research focuses on medieval legal systems, including peine forte et dure, juries of matrons, and medieval violence. Key works include *Pain, Penance, and Protest* (2022) and *Forensic Medicine and Death Investigation in Medieval England* (2015). She co-founded the Legal History Miscellany blog and teaches courses on medieval legal history, saints/demons, and crime-solving in medieval Europe.

Recent work critiques Steven Pinker’s 'civilizing process' thesis, arguing against oversimplified medieval violence narratives. Her current research examines thirteenth-century inquests of hate and spite in homicide accusations.