Adjunct Professor of Humanities
I teach undergraduate students how to engage in deep and critical reading of primary works of ancient, medieval, and early modern literature, history, philosophy, and theology. I help them identify and evaluate continuity and change between cultures of the distant past and the present. I also assist my students in improving their communication skills by moderating weekly seminar discussions and by grading out-of-class formal writing assignments.
As is the case with my teaching, my research is interdisciplinary, encompassing literature, history, and political philosophy. Facilitating this range of study is a carefully defined chronological and geographical concentration: the Western European empire gained and lost by the Plantagenet dynasty of England during the high and late Middle Ages (c. 1100-1400). My specializations include Arthurian and chivalric romance, chronicles of the British Isles, and the politics of kingship.
A frequent topic in my scholarship is the use of heroes of literature as models for imitation and emulation by historical figures, past and present. I analyze how post-Conquest kings of England have emulated and otherwise used the legendary King Arthur of Britain for political gain, and how this activity has in turn impacted depictions of Arthur in literature.
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About Christopher Berard
I teach undergraduate students how to engage in deep and critical reading of primary works of ancient, medieval, and early modern literature, history, philosophy, and theology. I help them identify and evaluate continuity and change between cultures of the distant past and the present. I also assist my students in improving their communication skills by moderating weekly seminar discussions and by grading out-of-class formal writing assignments.
As is the case with my teaching, my research is interdisciplinary, encompassing literature, history, and political philosophy. Facilitating this range of study is a carefully defined chronological and geographical concentration: the Western European empire gained and lost by the Plantagenet dynasty of England during the high and late Middle Ages (c. 1100-1400). My specializations include Arthurian and chivalric romance, chronicles of the British Isles, and the politics of kingship.
A frequent topic in my scholarship is the use of heroes of literature as models for imitation and emulation by historical figures, past and present. I analyze how post-Conquest kings of England have emulated and otherwise used the legendary King Arthur of Britain for political gain, and how this activity has in turn impacted depictions of Arthur in literature.
| 2023 - Present | Adjunct Professor of Humanities, Providence College ‐ Humanities Program | |
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| 2017 - Present | Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Providence College ‐ Department of English | |
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| 2009 - 2016 | Teaching Assistant, University of Toronto ‐ Department of English | |
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| 2016 | Course Instructor, Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology ‐ School of English and Liberal Studies | |
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| 2016 | Teaching Assistant, University of Toronto ‐ St. Michael's College | |
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| 2015 | Course Instructor, Trent University ‐ Department of English Literature | |
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| 2014 | Teaching Assistant, University of Toronto ‐ Centre for Medieval Studies | |
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Disciplines
Research Interests
Professional Service and Affiliations
| 2020 - Present | Member of the Editorial Board, Arthurian Literature | 2020 - Present | Member, Northeast Modern Language Association | 2014 - Present | Member, Medieval Chronicle Society | 2012 - Present | Member, International Arthurian Society: North American Branch |
Honors and Awards
- Providence College, Faculty Development Grant, 2018
- Trent University, CUPE 3808, Professional Development Fund, 2016
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, Prudence Tracy Scholarship, 2015
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, Travel Bursary Fund, 2015
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, Colin Chase Award, 2014
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, John Leyerle Award Fund, 2014
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, Travel Bursary Fund, 2014
- International Arthurian Society, Congress Subvention Grant, 2014
- University of Toronto, Centre for Medieval Studies, Microfilm Purchase Bursary Fund, 2014
- University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies, Travel Grant, 2013
- University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies, Conference Grant, 2012
- University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies, Conference Grant, 2011
Courses
- Medieval Jewish and Christian Romance
- King Arthur: Monarch of the Medieval Imagination
- The Grail (History, Literature, and Legend), 2023
- Kingship and the Mirror for Princes Tradition (from Charlemagne to Napoleon), 2022 - 2023
- Introduction to Literature (Arthurian), 2021
- Chaucer’s Love Poetry (Troilus & Criseyde), 2021
- Development of Western Civilization II (from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment), 2018-
- Development of Western Civilization I (from Antiquity to the Middle Ages), 2017-
- Introduction to Literature, 2017
- The Short Story, 2016
- College English, 2016
- Foundations in Medieval Literature, 2015
| 2009 - 2015 | PhD, University of Toronto ‐ Medieval Studies | |
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| 2007 - 2008 | MA, University of Toronto ‐ Medieval Studies | |
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| 2003 - 2007 | BA, summa cum laude, Providence College ‐ History and Liberal Arts Honors | |
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Contact Information
c/o Humanities Program
Providence College
1 Cunningham Square
Providence, Rhode Island 02918–0001
Tel: 401–999–9406
Email: christopher.berard@providence.edu