A scholar of early modern Europe and North America, Prof. Macfarlane works at the intersection of religious, cultural, and intellectual history. She has a particular interest in the history of biblical scholarship, encompassing its production by Latin-speaking scholarly elites, its interactions with vernacular religious culture, and its relationship with theological controversy and confessional identity. Learn more about Prof. Macfarlane, who will be joining the faculty effective July 1, 2024.

What are you most looking forward to about life in Chicago / Hyde Park?

Exploring the Lakefront trail: I spend a lot of my spare time running and the trail seems like a runner's paradise. 

How did you come to do the work you do? 

During my undergraduate degree, I drew up a list of books which had been recommended by various tutors, but which I just didn't have time to read properly. One of these was Joanna Weinberg and Anthony Grafton's brilliant study of the Hebrew scholarship of the great classical scholar Isaac Casaubon (1559-1614). The other was the second volume of Grafton's seminal study of Joseph Justus Scaliger, focussing on his studies within the dauntingly technical field of historical chronology. When I finally got around to reading these books at the end of my degree, although I understood (at best) 40% of them, I knew immediately that I had found what I wanted to do. 

What are you most looking forward to about joining us at the Divinity School?

Since my own career has been so strongly influenced by exceptional teachers and supervisors, I'm very excited to have the opportunity to teach and advise students at all levels in the Divinity School and beyond. The reputation of UChicago's students for excellence precedes them. More generally, I've been very impressed by the Divinity School's strong sense of community and intellectual seriousness, so I'm looking forward to having conversations about research with colleagues across a range of different disciplines and interests.

Opinions on Chicago-style pizza?

It strikes me as an acquired taste.