معرفی
Andrew James Johnston is a Professor of English Philology with a specialization in Medieval and Renaissance Literature at the Institute of English Philology, Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, Freie Universität Berlin. He serves as Co-Director of the Excellence Cluster 'Temporal Communities: Doing Literature in a Global Perspective' (EXC 2020) and previously held the position of Managing Director of the Institute for English Philology from 2021-2023. His academic career at Freie Universität Berlin spans decades, including roles as Vice Dean for Research of the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities (2011-2015) and Director of the Institute for English Philology (2009-2011).
Johnston's research focuses on Medieval English Literature with particular expertise in Beowulf studies, Chaucer scholarship, and the Robin Hood legend. His work explores the intersections of literature, temporality, and global perspectives, examining how medieval texts engage with historical consciousness and temporal communities. He investigates archaeological representations in literature, the politics of periodization, and the global dimensions of medieval literary production. His scholarship bridges traditional philological approaches with contemporary theoretical frameworks, particularly concerning temporal entanglements and transcultural literary phenomena.
His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on temporal communities, global literary history, and the material dimensions of medieval texts. Johnston's work frequently examines how medieval literature constructs complex temporalities, engages with archaeological remains, and participates in transtemporal networks. His scholarship on Chaucer explores the poet's engagement with historical consciousness and periodization, while his Beowulf research investigates global entanglements and flood narratives within the epic. The pattern across his work reveals a deep engagement with how literature functions as a social action that exists through complex networks of human and non-human agents.
Johnston leads several significant research initiatives including the DFG Research Group 5323 'Aitiologien: Figuren und Funktionen begründenden Erzählens in Wissenschaft und Literatur,' the Excellence Cluster 'Temporal Communities,' and has been involved in numerous other collaborative research projects including the DFG Research Group 2305 'Diskursivierungen von Neuem' and the Collaborative Research Centre 980 'Episteme in Bewegung.' He serves in editorial roles for prestigious journals including Anglia and Frühmittelalterliche Studien, and as Series Advisor for Manchester Medieval Literature and Culture.
His teaching portfolio includes courses on Medieval English Literatures, The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, and Middle English Romance, reflecting his deep commitment to both research and pedagogy in medieval literary studies. Johnston's work represents a significant contribution to understanding how medieval literature participates in global networks and transtemporal communities, challenging traditional national and temporal boundaries in literary scholarship.
