Draft:Karl Shoemaker
American historian and professor of medieval law and religion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karl Shoemaker is an American historian, legal scholar, and author who serves as Professor of History and Law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research focuses on the intersections of law, religion, and justice in medieval Europe.
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Karl Shoemaker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Florida, U.S. |
| Occupations | Historian, legal scholar, professor |
| Employer | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Known for | Research on medieval law and religion |
Early life and education
Shoemaker was raised in Florida and graduated from The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1989.[1] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sewanee: The University of the South, a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law, and a Ph.D. in History from UC Berkeley.[2]
Academic career
Shoemaker joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2003, where he holds a joint appointment in the Department of History, the Department of Law, and the Legal Studies Program.[2] His teaching and research focus on medieval legal systems, canon law, and the development of ideas of justice in the Middle Ages.
He has served as a member of the editorial board for Cambridge University's Law and History Review.[3] He was previously on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Legal History, and was the incoming president of the Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities. Shoemaker was also a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Undergraduate Education.[2]
Publications
Shoemaker has authored and edited several scholarly works and numerous journal articles exploring sanctuary, criminality, and justice in medieval Europe.
Books
- Shoemaker, Karl. Sanctuary and Crime in the Middle Ages, 400–1500. Cornell University Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0801449568.
- Shoemaker, Karl (ed.) The Formation of Canon Law in the Twelfth Century. Cornell University Press, 2016. ISBN 978-1501703321.
- Shoemaker, Karl. The Devil’s Handwriting: Demonology and the Law in Medieval Europe. Cambridge University Press, forthcoming (2026).[4]
Selected journal articles
- Shoemaker, Karl. "The Problem of Sanctuary in Medieval Law." Law and History Review 27, no. 2 (2009): 299–330. doi:10.1017/S0738248000000854.
- Shoemaker, Karl. "Medieval Sanctuary and the Making of the Common Law." Speculum 82, no. 4 (2007): 1065–1093. doi:10.1017/S0038713400015925.
- Shoemaker, Karl. "The Devil and the Law in Late Medieval Europe." Journal of Medieval History 37, no. 4 (2011): 439–453. doi:10.1016/j.jmedhist.2011.06.002.
Awards and recognition
Shoemaker’s work has been supported by fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies.[2]
Personal life
Shoemaker resides in Madison, Wisconsin, where he continues to teach and research topics in medieval legal culture.