Elizabeth Tingle

Elizabeth Tingle is Professor of History at De Montfort University, affiliated with the School of Humanities and Performing Arts within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities. Her research and teaching focus on early modern European religious, cultural, and social history, with a particular emphasis on France.

Education:

• BA (Hons) History, University College London
• DPhil History, Oxford University
• PGCE Secondary History, Institute of Education, London

Her research expertise lies in the history of the French Wars of Religion, the Counter and Catholic Reformations, material culture of religious life, parish churches, and long-distance pilgrimage in early modern Europe. She explores how religious ideas intersected with social practices, urban life, and physical spaces such as cathedrals, churches, and sacred sites. Her work often bridges history, archaeology, and heritage studies.

Her recent publications reflect a consistent focus on religious transformation, death rituals, and spiritual journeys. Themes across her articles and books include the persistence of Catholic devotional practices after the Reformation, the role of indulgences and purgatory, and the cultural significance of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Mont Saint-Michel, and Lough Derg. She frequently examines how religious beliefs were expressed through material forms, including monuments, churches, and votive objects.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Arts and Humanities Research Council Peer Review College Member (2017–2021)
• Canon Symonds Memorial Scholarship (2011)
• Mercers’ Company of London Grant (2010)
• Scouloudi Foundation Publication Grant (2011)
• Gerald Finzi Trust Research Funding (2006)

Elizabeth Tingle actively supervises PhD students and has secured external funding from the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Huntington Library, and Royal Historical Society. She has served as a historical advisor for heritage projects, including a successful HLF bid for Ugborough Parish Church. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates archival research, fieldwork, and public engagement.

She is involved in multiple scholarly and community organizations, including as trustee of the Royal Archaeological Institute, Leicestershire Historic Churches Trust, and Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society. She also contributes to public history through the Leicester City Council Heritage Partnership and the Historical Association.