Lucas Gahrmann is a PhD candidate at the Centre for the Arts in Society.

More information about Lucas Gahrmann

Research interests 

• Tolkien criticism 
• (Christian) theology (focus: 19th century) 
• History of Old English studies (focus: 19th century) 
• Bibliographical and relational databases 

Overview of research and projects 

To a researcher with a background in Old English language and literature, and with an academic interest in (Christian) theology, the European 19th century provides a bountiful supply of source material. It was during this century that the systematic study of languages, notably their history, fully matured. It was also the century that witnessed mainstream branches of Christianity in Europe facing some of their greatest challenges to date, ranging from far-reaching philosophical innovations at German universities to large-scale societal changes such as industrialization. My current research project, ‘The Search for Anglo-Saxon Christianity in 19th-century Europe’, seeks to gain a fresh insight into this turbulent age by focusing on a group of English and continental philologists—including Joseph Bosworth (1788-1876), N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) and K.W. Bouterwek (1809-1869)—and their scholarly dealings with Old English religious literature. Through analyses of their academic output and personal correspondence, this project seeks to explain why, at a time when questioning the dominant position of the Church in society became ever more prevalent, these scholars were drawn to editing and interpreting evidently Christian texts. Having a clear and comprehensive picture of the theological motives and concepts underpinning their work will not only prove valuable in charting the history of the modern field of Old English studies, but also in clearing up some of the mists that still surround the cultural landscape of the 19th century, a century so formative in many ways to our present day.  

Curriculum vitae 

• 2024 – present PhD candidate at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society   (LUCAS). My subproject, ‘The Search for Anglo-Saxon Christianity in 19th-century Europe’, forms a part of the ERC-funded project on ‘Early Medieval English in Nineteenth-Century Europe’ (EMERGENCE), directed by Dr. Thijs Porck. 
• 2020-2022 MA Literary Studies (English Literature and Culture), Leiden University, cum laude 
• 2017-2020 BA English Language and Culture, Leiden University, cum laude