Assistant Professor

John Wei came to Grinnell in August 2008 after receiving his Ph.D. earlier that year from Yale. A medievalist, his research focuses on twelfth-century law and theology (in particular, canonical collections, Gratian, the school of Laon, and penance). His broader fields of interest include European cultural history, the history of philosophy, textual criticism, and the history of Christianity. The only aspects of the Middle Ages he really dislikes are the lower standards of hygiene and lack of electrical appliances, flaws - he would like to point out - that were not unique to the Middle Ages, but were endemic to pre-industrialized societies.


In his spare time, he likes to read, play Scrabble/Scrabulous, travel, experiment (often unsuccessfully) with cooking, and try out new activities.