Daniel Bornstein

Professor Daniel Bornstein is a faculty member in the Department of History at Washington University, holding the Stella K. Darrow Professor of Catholic Studies chair. His research explores religious culture, popular devotion, and the societal role of religion in medieval and Renaissance Italy, with a focus on lay/clerical dynamics and gender formation. He is currently completing a study of the diocese of Cortona, examining responses to crises such as the Black Death and political shifts in the fifteenth century. Future projects include analyzing religious reformer Giovanni Dominici’s influence on women’s roles and the relic-theft incident involving the Corpus Domini nuns.

His academic contributions are supported by fellowships from organizations like the National Endowment for the Humanities, American Philosophical Society, and the National Humanities Center. He has been honored as a Socio corrispondente at the Accademia Etrusca di Cortona.

Professor Bornstein advises graduate students on topics including civic saints, healing cults, and Rome’s religious life during the Avignon papacy. He teaches courses such as Medieval Christianity, Women and Religion in Medieval Europe, and Renaissance Florence and Venice.