The Department of English and Philosophy welcomes back Dr. Joshua Easterling, assistant professor of English, who returns to Murray after spending a year in Germany researching medieval mysticism, women’s spirituality during the Middle Ages and medieval theology. A prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship supported his research for a book.
The Humboldt Foundation provides research fellowships for experienced researchers needing to conduct research in Germany. These scholars are then alumni of the program and members of the Humboldt Network. This highly competitive fellowship program supports researchers while on site, and their publications are then noted and shared by the Humboldt Foundation.
“Learning is about connection, and there is nothing like connecting with (the ideas of) curious, brilliant, and creative people whose work, though in other disciplines, helps inspire the connections we are tracing in our own,” stated Easterling, regarding the networking and collaborative opportunities.
During his time in Germany, the Humboldt Foundation held a convention in Dresden, and nearly 300 fellows were in attendance. The scholars were from all academic disciplines, from Classics and philosophy to physics, economics, and so forth.
About this convention, Easterling stated, “Disciplinary and institutional boundaries are there to be examined and re-imagined (if not dismantled), and a community of scholars from many countries and across many disciplines is admirably positioned to do just that.”
The Humboldt Foundation receives much of its financial support (about 60% or more, from the federal government. One requirement for a Humboldt Fellowship is that applicants must find their own partners; through connections, Easterling met the English Department chair at the University of Berlin, and that university agreed to sponsor the research.
Once in Germany Easterling completed a lot of research, making some important discoveries along the way. Easterling recently published one article in Medieval Mystical Theology, and he has submitted a book proposal to editors at university presses.
While in Germany, Easterling also explored cathedrals from the Middle Ages. All of cathedrals are in one area and tell a story that has inspired him to take students to study medieval religious history and literature. Here are some pictures of those cathedrals:
For those students who may want to be a Humboldt Fellow or apply for a different post-doctoral fellowship one day, Easterling offers this advice: “Publish early and often. Plan for the long haul. Be committed without compromise to your own creativity.”
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