Liam Matthew Brockey

Professor Liam Matthew Brockey is an historian of Early Modern Europe at Michigan State University, specializing in Portuguese overseas empire and Roman Catholicism. His research explores the challenges faced by missionaries in 17th-century Asia and the socio-religious dynamics of colonial cities. He has published extensively on Jesuit missions, global Catholicism, and the intersection of imperial power with religious practice.

Educations:

• B.A. in History and Medieval Studies, University of Notre Dame (1994)
• A.M. and Ph.D. in History, Brown University (2002)

His research interests include Iberian empires, the history of confession in China, and the role of sermons in early modern Catholic pastoral practice. He has been awarded major grants from the J. William Fulbright Foundation and the Luso-American Foundation, and was twice honored with teaching excellence awards at MSU.

Key Publications:

• Six Sermons (Oxford UP, 2018) – first English translations of António Vieira’s seminal sermons
• The Visitor: André Palmeiro and the Jesuits in Asia (Harvard UP, 2014)
• Journey to the East (Harvard UP, 2007) – foundational study of Jesuit China missions

Recipient of the John Gilmary Shea Prize and A.H. de Oliveira Marques Prize, Professor Brockey has served as President of the American Catholic Historical Association and is an elected member of the prestigious Academia Portuguesa da História. His work bridges historical scholarship with public engagement, including consulting on Martin Scorsese’s film Silence.