Robert W. Shaffern

 

robert.shaffern@scranton.edu
St. Thomas Hall 308F
(570) 941-4360
C.V.

Robert W. Shaffern, Professor of Medieval History, has been a member of the History Department since 1995. He was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1963. He received his bachelor of arts degree from De Paul University in 1985. His master of arts degree was conferred by the University of Notre Dame in 1987, and his doctorate in 1992. In addition to medieval history, Professor Shaffern also teaches courses in ancient and Byzantine civilization, as well as the Italian Renaissance and the Reformation.

Professor Shaffern’s scholarship has been mostly devoted to the intellectual and religious history of the Middle Ages, in particular, scholastic thought, penance, canon law, and the administration of pastoral care. He has carried out research at the Medieval Institute at Notre Dame, the Institute of Medieval Canon Law (then housed at the University of California, Berkeley), the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, and the British Library in London. He has published in a number of distinguished, refereed journals. His book, The Penitents’ Treasury: Indulgences in Latin Christendom, 1175-1375, the first book-length monograph on medieval indulgences in almost a century, is scheduled for publication by the University of Scranton Press in 2007.

To purchase a copy of Professor Shaffern’s book go to www.press.uchicago.edu(search Shaffern on this site). 
[or call 800-621-2736 (The University of Chicago Press distribution center).]

He is currently writing The Law in the Western Tradition, an introduction to the intersection between law and culture in Western Civilization, which will be published by Rowman and Littlefield.

In his spare time, Professor Shaffern plays golf and piano, and volunteers with the basketball teams at the University of Scranton.

Professor Shaffern has been married to his wife, Elizabeth, since 1992. The couple has four children and resides in Scranton.

Scroll to Top