Sylvain Piron

Sylvain Piron serves as Director of Studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, where he is a statutory member of the Centre de Recherches Historiques (CRH) and leads research within the AHLoMA (Historical Anthropology of the Long Middle Ages) group. He co-heads the Environmental Studies course since 2024 and maintains an active research and teaching profile focused on medieval intellectual history.

His research spans medieval intellectual history from the 12th to 14th centuries, with particular expertise in Franciscan movements and their dissident forms, ecstatic experiences, prophecy, and the critical history of economic thought over the longue durée. His work demonstrates remarkable interdisciplinary breadth, connecting medieval religious thought with contemporary environmental humanities and political theory.

Piron's extensive publication record reveals consistent scholarly engagement with medieval Franciscan thought, particularly the works of Pierre de Jean Olivi, whom he has edited and analyzed across multiple publications. His recent work shows increasing interest in environmental thought, both medieval and contemporary, as evidenced by his 2024 publication 'Vers une écologie franciscaine' and his co-headship of the Environmental Studies course.

• Grand prix des Rendez-vous de l'histoire de Blois (2016) for 'Dialectique du monstre. Enquête sur Opicino de Canistris'

As a dedicated supervisor, Piron currently guides numerous doctoral students working on diverse aspects of medieval religious thought, Franciscan studies, and related fields. His editorial work includes serving as editor-in-chief of the electronic micro-journal Oliviana and co-director of Vues de l'esprit editions, demonstrating his commitment to scholarly communication and publication.

Within the CRH, Piron contributes to the AHLoMA research group, which focuses on the historical anthropology of the long Middle Ages, providing an institutional framework for his interdisciplinary approach that bridges history, anthropology, and religious studies.