RSE Gifford Seminar | Motion and emotion in early modern Christian history

This seminar takes place in-person at the RSE and involves an in-depth panel discussion on Professor Alexandra Walsham’s 2025 Gifford Lecture series on religious movements in early modern Christian history.

Mobility is both a central feature of human experience and a rich metaphor for the dynamic role that religion plays in the making of history. In our globalised world, people, objects, organisms and ideas travel through space and time at speed. These movements help to create opportunities, foster relationships, and forge identities, but they are also a perennial source of unease, anxiety, and danger. The turbulence that surrounds us in everyday life is mirrored by the turmoil that so many feel inside.

The 2025 Gifford Lectures explore these themes in the context of early modern Christianity, examining the piety, ethics and politics of physical movement in tandem with the internal transformations precipitated by the Reformations. They probe the connections between motion and emotion and illuminate the origins and impact of the profound religious upheavals of the period between 1500 and 1800.

This registration page is to attend the event in-person only. Should you prefer to view online, please regsiter here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1309814373049?aff=oddtdtcreator

SPEAKER

Professor Alexandra Walsham
Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge

Alexandra Walsham is Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Emmanuel College. Her research centres on the history of the British and European Reformations. Her many publications include The Reformation of the Landscape: Religion, Identity and Memory in Early Modern Britain and Ireland (2011), joint winner of the Wolfson History Prize, and Generations: Age, Ancestry and Memory in the English Reformations (2023). She is currently President of the Historical Association. She has been a Fellow of the British Academy since 2009 and was appointed a CBE for services to History in 2017.

CHAIR

Professor Mona Siddiqui, OBE, FRSE
Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies, University of Edinburgh, VP International, RSE

Professor Mona Siddiqui is a highly respected public intellectual and speaker on religion, ethics and public life. Her primary research areas are Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), ethics, and Christian-Muslim relations. She has held several prestigious research grants and visiting professorships, serving as a Humanitas Professor at the University of Cambridge and a Visiting Professorship at Hartford Seminary in the US.

In 2011, she was awarded an OBE for her interfaith work. She is a regular commentator in public life and the media. She has addressed the World Economic Forum, she chairs the BBC’s Religious Advisory Committee in Scotland, and she is included on the Debretts list of the 500 most influential people in the UK.

About the RSE Gifford Seminar

The RSE and the University of Edinburgh unite annually to present the RSE Gifford Seminar, providing a unique overview of the Gifford Lecture Series for the year. This seminar is not another lecture but an interactive session where you can engage with the speaker on their series, fostering fresh thinking, connections, and exchanges.
The Gifford Lectures were established in 1887 under the will of Adam, Lord Gifford, a judge of the Court of Session and a man of broad interests and compassion. Gifford Lectures are held at each of the four ancient Scottish universities. For over a century, the lectures have enabled an eminent field of scholars to advance philosophical and scientific thought. You can read more about it here.

Important points to note

This event is suitable for age 16+

Please note that this event might contain sensitive or upsetting content related to historical religous movements.

We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or have any questions related to how we can support this event, please contact public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk. Accessibility information for the RSE building can be found on our website: Accessibility - Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) : Royal Society of Edinburgh

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Livestreaming and photography will take place at this event. Please let a member of the RSE Public Engagement team know if you do not want to be photographed. The recording will be available on the RSE YouTube channel after the event. (delete if not needed)

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