David Cantor-Echols

David Cantor-Echols is an MA Teaching Fellow. He recently completed his PhD in Medieval European History at The University of Chicago, where he also received an MA in History. David holds an MA in Medieval Studies from University College London as well as a BA in History and Spanish Language and Literature from Lake Forest College. 

David's research centers on the political culture of medieval Europe, with an emphasis on the Iberian Peninsula during the later Middle Ages. His work is animated by an interest in conflict and coexistence among pre-modern Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and his dissertation examines how Christian elites mobilized a range of literary forms, administrative documents, and ritual acts to debate and construct political communities in a multi-faith context. This analysis is placed in conversation with questions of sovereignty, power, and social relations endemic to the wider medieval world. David's current research interests include coronation and knightly investiture, elite masculinity and emotions, and the formation of historical memory.

Prior to joining MAPSS, David served as a BA Thesis Preceptor in the Harris School of Public Policy. He has taught extensively in UChicago's History of European Civilization sequence, in the Humanities Core, and in the College Writing Program.