Dr. Rachel Cresswell

College:

Christ Church

Biography:

Rachel’s research lies in the history of Latin Christianity in the central middle ages. She completed her DPhil in Theology at Oxford in 2020 under the supervision of Anna Sapir Abulafia. She holds an MPhil in Ecclesiastical History from Oxford and a BA in History from Durham University. Before taking up the Departmental Lectureship in Ecclesiastical History in 2021, Rachel was an instructor in both Theology and History at Fordham London, teaching a variety of courses for Fordham University’s study abroad programme. She has also taught Theology for Stanford University’s overseas studies programme in Oxford, and Medieval History at Blackfriars, where she holds a Junior Research Fellowship. She has been a Senior Member at Christ Church since 2021.

​​​​​​​Research Interests:

Rachel specializes in the thought of Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109). She is particularly interested in the reception of the Bible in medieval monastic authors and use in theological discourse. Her research interests include medieval liturgy, Benedictine monastic spirituality and medieval theories of atonement.​​​​​​​