Dr. Marc B. Cels

Dr. Marc B. Cels

Associate Professor, History

Contact information

Email: marcc@athabascau.ca

Phone:

I joined Athabasca University in 2008 as Assistant Professor of History at the Centre for Global and Social Analysis. Now I am Associate Professor of History at the Centre for Humanities. I co-ordinate and tutor several Distance Education courses on ancient, medieval and early modern Europe—that is, up to about 1700 CE.

My work focuses on the Latin books written to educate friars and other Christian priests across Europe in their duties of preaching and hearing confessions, especially in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. These often dry texts interest me because they can reveal the thoughts, hopes, and feelings of medieval people. My work has circled around topics such as anger, forgiveness, reconciliation, the history of emotion, the history of Christian penance, and medieval preaching.

I live peaceably in Edmonton, Alberta.

Discover my research


Research interests

  • Medieval European history
  • Medieval Christianity
  • History of emotions

Educational credentials

  • B.A. (Hons.) (University of Calgary)
  • M.A. Medieval Studies (University of Toronto)
  • Ph.D. Medieval Studies (University of Toronto)

Professional affiliations

  • President, Canadian Society of Medievalists/Société canadienne des médiévistes (2020-2022)