Assistant Professor of History
On Faculty since 2011
Office: Blanchard 211
Phone: (630)752-5116
Fax: (630)752-5294
Email: meredith.riedel@wheaton.edu
Education
D.Phil., University of Oxford, 2010
M.St., University of Oxford, 2004
Th.M., Princeton Theological Seminary, 2003
M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary, 2002
B.A., Wellesley College, 1989
About Meredith L. D. Riedel
Dr. Riedel is a writer and historian specializing in early medieval Byzantine political thought, particularly as influenced by religious commitments. Before coming to Wheaton, she held a postdoctoral research position at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford, where she explored the history of Syriac-speaking communities and the evolution of the role of Syriac as a language of culture in a bilingual environment in which Greek was the established public language. Her current research focuses on Byzantine christian philosophies of warfare and the formation of Christian identities in the pre-modern Middle East.
The opportunity to teach at Wheaton College presents a particularly attractive combination of highly motivated students and the privilege of combining faith and scholarship in an intensely rigorous academic setting. Dr. Riedel finds teaching to be a fascinating privilege and challenge ripe with many joys; she is delighted to introduce her students to the intellectual pleasures of the study of history. As an organic process that requires a real commitment on the part of the teacher as mentor, learning requires curiosity, discipline, and humility. Teaching history well requires even more curiosity, discipline, and humility. Hence the fascination to get it right!
When not in the classroom or the library, Dr. Riedel can be found cheering on her students as they compete for the college's athletic teams, or applauding their creative musical and choral performances. A golfer from the age of three, she also plays as much as time allows, and is thrilled that Wheaton has such a beautiful sports center for Chicago winter workouts. She is married to a gentle and godly man named Detlev, a native of Frankfurt, Germany. Together they seek to promote awareness of the richness of cross-cultural community and international perspective. The Riedels are honored to be called to minister to Wheaton students in this season of life and look forward to serving among Wheaton's community of grace for years to come.
Memberships in Professional Societies
- Royal Historical Society
- American Historical Association
- Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies
- Medieval Academy of America
- Byzantine Studies Association of North America
- Oxford Byzantine Society (President, 2007-2008)
Publications and Conference Papers
Encyclopedia of the Medieval Chronicle, ed. Graeme Dunphy (forthcoming, Brill). Ten Entries (co-authored with J. van Ginkel):
- Composite Chronicle of 636/40
- Dionysius of Tell Mahre
- Iliya ibn sinaya
- John of Ephesus
- John of Phenek
- Khuzistan Chronicle
- Maronite Chronicle of 663/4
- Melkite Chronicle of 641
- Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite
- Syriac Short Chronicles
Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Ancient History, ed. Elizabeth Bull (forthcoming, Blackwell Publishing). Twelve Entries:
- Asia Minor
- Byzantine Administration
- Caesaropapism
- Foreigners
- Forts, Byzantine
- Military Lands
- Missions, Byzantine
- Paganism
- Popular Religion, Byzantine
- Ports, Byzantine
- Roads, Byzantine
- Strategy, Byzantine
"Warfare and Historiography", in Oxford History of History of Writing, vol. 2 (History Writing in the Middle Ages), eds. Sarah Foot and Chase Robinson (in preparation, Oxford University Press)
"The Forty-Two Martyrs of Amorion and the Memory of Byzantium", Byzantine Studies Conference of North America, Florida State University, Sarasota (November 2009).
"The Face of Christ in Byzantium: An Assessment of the Mandylion Icon", Oxford Graduate Student Annual Conference, Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Research, Oxford (February 2009).
"Two Military Orations of Constantine VII", Byzantine Studies Conference of North America, University of Toronto (October 2007).
"Islamo-Christian Dialogue in the Middle Byzantine Era", Postgraduate Forum in Byzantine Studies, Trinity College Dublin (April 2007).
"Ninth-Century Arab-Christian Apologetics in the caliphate", Oxford Graduate Student Annual conference, Lincoln College, Oxford (February 2007).
"Holy War and Christian Religion: Past, Present, and Future", Exploring Cultural Perspectives Conference, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki (July 2006).
"Who wrote the De Velitatione Bellica?", Oxford Graduate Student Annual Conference, Lincoln College, Oxford (February 2006).
"Why can't a Roman be more like a Saracen? The Taktika of Leo VI the Wise and Tenth-Century Byzantine-Arab Warfare", Texas Medieval Association Annual Conference, University of Dallas (September 2004).
Courses Taught
- World History 105
- World History 105 Seminar
- World History, Ancient to Modern (HIST 111)