Ruth Atherton

Ruth Atherton is a social, religious and cultural historian of early-modern Europe. Her research interests focus on confessional identity formation and the nature of sin and salvation in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Germany, especially with regards to the development of early modern sacramental education.  She is a member of the Ecclesiastical History Society.

Ruth completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham in 2018. Her work explores the development of early modern sacramental education with a particular focus on the Holy Roman Empire in the sixteenth century.

She is currently working on a monograph entitled ‘The invisible grace of God’: Sacramental Education in Reformation Germany, 1525-1610’ as well as pieces on confessional identity formation more broadly across early-modern Germany.

I am module leader for the following:

Science, Magic and Learning in Early Modern Europe

The Tudor Myth, 1485-Present

Postgraduate Supervision

I am interested in supervising post-graduates on topics regarding religion, politics, culture and society in early modern Europe.