Dr. James Ginther, former Dean of the Faculty of Theology, has been appointed Associate Director of the Centre for Medieval Studies (CMS) at the University of Toronto, effective July 1, 2021. A mediaeval historian and professor of Church history, Dr. Ginther will continue to teach at St. Michael’s during his three-year appointment to the Centre.
“This appointment speaks to the close ties we have both to CMS and to the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies (PIMS),” says St. Michael’s President Dr. David Sylvester. “Jim, who is also an Associate Fellow at PIMS, will be a valuable asset to the Centre.”
Noting that Dr. Ginther will take over the role from St. Michael’s professor Dr. Alexander Andrée, Dr. John Magee, the Centre’s Director, says he is “very grateful for his willingness to take this on, and for USMC’s and the Faculty of Theology’s cooperation in making it possible. Jim brings excellent administrative experience to the position and, perhaps most importantly, will form an important part of the connective tissue between the Centre for Medieval Studies, St. Michael’s College, and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies.”
Dr. Ginther describes his responsibilities at CMS as primarily student focused.
“I will be overseeing recruitment and admissions of new MA and PhD students and will serve as the faculty advisor to all MA students. I’ll also be responsible for developing funding packages, including assigning teaching assistant and research assistant positions to incoming and returning students.
“This is what excites me about the position: supporting students so that they can excel in the program, and providing opportunities for professional development where the Centre can.”
Dr. Ginther, who earned his doctorate at CMS, was named Dean of the Faculty of Theology in July 2015. His research is primarily focused on 12th- and 13th-century European theology. He is currently leading a SSHRC-funded project that will produce an edition of Stephen Langton’s lectures on Genesis. He teaches courses in medieval church history, Anselm of Canterbury, the medieval theology of creation, and methods in historical theology.
For the past 20 years Dr. Ginther has also worked in digital humanities, collaborating on several large projects, including the digital tool T-PEN (Transcription for Paleographical and Editorial Notation, www.t-pen.org). While at CMS, he will also work on enhancing its existing programs in digital humanities. One possibility, he notes, would be finding ways to connect the Global Classroom project at St. Michael’s with the mediaevalists who teach in the digital humanities minor.
In 2020, St. Michael’s signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with the University of Toronto and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies to focus on new possibilities for cooperation and partnerships for CMS, PIMS and St. Michael’s via research, teaching, and publication. While each party remains distinct, the agreement suggests possibilities such as joint academic seminars or colloquia, as well as less formal scholarly collaboration. It also notes that the PIMS library collection will continue to be housed in the John M. Kelly Library.
“I am pleased that Jim has this exciting opportunity to continue using the leadership skills he displayed during his term as Dean of the Faculty of Theology,” says Interim Dean Dr. John L. McLaughlin. “I know that CMS will benefit greatly from his service as Associate Director during this partial secondment, and I look forward to an enhanced relationship between CMS and the Faculty of Theology.”