Thomas Maurer, Ph.D.

Thomas Maurer is an Assistant Professor of History at Ave Maria University. He also serves as the Director of the Medieval Studies Minor.

Dr. Maurer’s research focuses on apocalyptic cultures in thirteenth century Italy, in particular the pseudo works attributed to the theologian Abbot Joachim of Fiore (d. 1202). His first book project examines pseudo-prophecies about thirteenth-century Italian cities, arguing these prophecies presented Italian cities as biblical like entities.

In addition to teaching the HIST 101/102 core sequence at AMU, Dr. Maurer teaches courses on medieval Italy, the history of the Catholic Church, and apocalyptic theories and theologies in the pre-modern world.

• “Prophetic Geography: Italy, the School of Joachim of Fiore, and the New Philistines,” book chapter in Prophecy and Politics: Apocalyptic Cultures in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, edited by Jay Rubenstein and Robert Bast. Brepols, 2024 
• “Everyday Decretists: Date Eleemosynam and Innocent III’s Exhortation to Alms,” at Medieval Sermon Studies, volume 66, November 2022