Dallas G. Denery II

Dallas G. Denery II is a Professor of History and Associate Dean for Curriculum at Bowdoin College, specializing in intellectual and religious history of medieval and early modern Europe.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in History, University of California, Berkeley, 1999
• MA in Philosophy, Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, 1995
• BA in Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley, 1986

Denery's research centers on the history of lying and deception across medieval and early modern periods, examining theological and philosophical dimensions of truth. His current work explores metahistorical questions through "bad histories"—such as Jesuit conspiracism and ancient astronaut theories—to interrogate history's purpose and epistemological foundations. He also investigates medieval optics, religious life, and gender dynamics in thinkers like Christine de Pizan.

His publications reveal consistent engagement with intersections of theology, philosophy, and social history, emphasizing ethics of deception, knowledge construction, and vision's role in religious contexts. Recent scholarship extends into metahistory, analyzing how flawed narratives paradoxically illuminate historical practice's core principles and societal functions.