The Medieval Academy of America (MAA), founded in 1925 as a scholarly organisation dedicated to the study of the Middle Ages, celebrates its centenary this year. To mark the occasion, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies, the Academy’s flagship journal, has published a themed issue reflecting on the history and evolution of medieval studies as a field.
The January 2025 issue offers a critical examination of how institutions like the MAA have shaped medieval studies over the past century. As Katherine Jansen, editor of Speculum, explains, “It is a must-read issue for any medievalist who wishes to know not only about our past but our present as well.”
Guest editors Roland Betancourt and Karla Mallette introduce the issue with a fundamental question: “How has medieval studies been shaped by its institutions?” Their introduction outlines key shifts in the discipline, including an increasing emphasis on global perspectives and methodologies informed by feminism, queer theory, trans studies, critical race theory, and Indigenous studies.
Shaping the Discipline
Articles in the issue explore a range of topics, from the founding of the MAA to the challenges faced by medievalists today. These include the precarious state of the humanities and the colonial legacies embedded in medieval studies. Some contributions examine the histories of para-academic groups such as the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship, BABEL, and the Material Collective, which have played significant roles in expanding the field. As Betancourt and Mallette note, “The purpose of some institutions is not to endure a century but to provoke, question, and inspire meaningful action.”
Looking to the Future
A recurring theme throughout the issue is what Betancourt and Mallette describe as the “Janus face of Crisis and Optimism.” While some articles highlight the difficulties medieval studies has faced, others point to its potential for adopting liberatory practices and addressing imperialist narratives. Speaking to their vision for the issue, the guest editors write, “We have strived to present a narrative that imagines a future for our field and studies the past in order to explore new and established ways of formulating and reformulating community when our conventional institutions fail us.”
New Leadership for Speculum
As the MAA reflects on its history, it also looks ahead to its future. Barbara Newman, a professor at Northwestern University, has been appointed as the next editor of Speculum. Newman, a prominent scholar of medieval literature and religion, will begin her tenure in July 2025.
The Medieval Academy of America (MAA), founded in 1925 as a scholarly organisation dedicated to the study of the Middle Ages, celebrates its centenary this year. To mark the occasion, Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies, the Academy’s flagship journal, has published a themed issue reflecting on the history and evolution of medieval studies as a field.
The January 2025 issue offers a critical examination of how institutions like the MAA have shaped medieval studies over the past century. As Katherine Jansen, editor of Speculum, explains, “It is a must-read issue for any medievalist who wishes to know not only about our past but our present as well.”
Guest editors Roland Betancourt and Karla Mallette introduce the issue with a fundamental question: “How has medieval studies been shaped by its institutions?” Their introduction outlines key shifts in the discipline, including an increasing emphasis on global perspectives and methodologies informed by feminism, queer theory, trans studies, critical race theory, and Indigenous studies.
Shaping the Discipline
Articles in the issue explore a range of topics, from the founding of the MAA to the challenges faced by medievalists today. These include the precarious state of the humanities and the colonial legacies embedded in medieval studies. Some contributions examine the histories of para-academic groups such as the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship, BABEL, and the Material Collective, which have played significant roles in expanding the field. As Betancourt and Mallette note, “The purpose of some institutions is not to endure a century but to provoke, question, and inspire meaningful action.”
Looking to the Future
A recurring theme throughout the issue is what Betancourt and Mallette describe as the “Janus face of Crisis and Optimism.” While some articles highlight the difficulties medieval studies has faced, others point to its potential for adopting liberatory practices and addressing imperialist narratives. Speaking to their vision for the issue, the guest editors write, “We have strived to present a narrative that imagines a future for our field and studies the past in order to explore new and established ways of formulating and reformulating community when our conventional institutions fail us.”
New Leadership for Speculum
As the MAA reflects on its history, it also looks ahead to its future. Barbara Newman, a professor at Northwestern University, has been appointed as the next editor of Speculum. Newman, a prominent scholar of medieval literature and religion, will begin her tenure in July 2025.
The January 2025 issues includes five articles and eight roundtables. Click here to read the Introduction: Medieval Studies and Its Institutions, by Roland Betancourt and Karla Mallette.
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