Peter Burke
Encyclopedia
Peter Burke is a British historian
and professor
.
He was born to a Roman Catholic father and Jewish
mother (who later converted to Roman Catholicism). He was educated by the Jesuits and at St John's College, Oxford
, and was a doctoral candidate at St Antony's College. From 1962 to 1979, he was part of the School of European Studies at Sussex University, before moving to the University of Cambridge
, where he holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Cultural History and Fellow of Emmanuel College
. Burke is celebrated as a historian not only of the early modern era
, but one who emphasizes the relevance of social and cultural history
to modern issues. He is married to Brazilian historian Maria Lúcia Garcia Pallares-Burke.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
.
He was born to a Roman Catholic father and Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
mother (who later converted to Roman Catholicism). He was educated by the Jesuits and at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, and was a doctoral candidate at St Antony's College. From 1962 to 1979, he was part of the School of European Studies at Sussex University, before moving to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where he holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Cultural History and Fellow of Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
. Burke is celebrated as a historian not only of the early modern era
Early modern Europe
Early modern Europe is the term used by historians to refer to a period in the history of Europe which spanned the centuries between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, roughly the late 15th century to the late 18th century...
, but one who emphasizes the relevance of social and cultural history
Cultural history
The term cultural history refers both to an academic discipline and to its subject matter.Cultural history, as a discipline, at least in its common definition since the 1970s, often combines the approaches of anthropology and history to look at popular cultural traditions and cultural...
to modern issues. He is married to Brazilian historian Maria Lúcia Garcia Pallares-Burke.
Works
Among his most important works are:- The Italian Renaissance (1972)
- Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe (1978)
- The Renaissance (1987)
- History and Social Theory (1991)
- Varieties of cultural history (1997)
- New perspectives on historical writing (2001) (editor and contributor)
- The Fabrication of Louis XIV (1992)
- The Art of Conversation (1993)
- A Social History of Knowledge (2000)
- The European Renaissance: Centres and Peripheries (1998)
- Eyewitnessing (2000)
- What is Cultural History? (2004)
- Languages and Communities in Early Modern Europe (2004)