University of Oxford
Miles Pattenden
Historian of Catholicism
Anglo-Australian historian specialising in the history of the papacy, global Catholicism, and the relationship between religion, politics and society.
About
Miles Pattenden is a historian at the University of Oxford, where he teaches Modern and Contemporary History at St Peter’s College. His research encompasses the history of the papacy and Catholicism, religion and politics, sexuality and gender, and modern uses and representations of the medieval past.
He is also Programme Director of the Europaeum, a network of leading European universities promoting academic collaboration and engagement about the major questions facing contemporary Europe.
He is co-editor of The Cambridge History of the Papacy (Cambridge University Press, 2025) and author of Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy (Oxford University Press, 2017). His next book, White Smoke: A History of the Papacy Through Conclaves, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2027.
International media
His analysis and commentary have appeared in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Washington Post, The Times, The Guardian, BBC, Associated Press, NBC and France 24, among others.
Nordic media
Miles has contributed interviews and historical analysis in media across the Nordic region, with coverage to date in Denmark (Danmark) and Norway (Norge).
Topics for interviews
- The papacy and the future of European Christianity
- Secularisation, religion and public life
- Pope Leo XIV and the legacy of Pope Francis
- The history of papal elections and conclaves
- Sexuality, gender and the Catholic Church
- Medievalism and modern uses of the medieval past
Available for interviews
Available for television, radio, print and podcast interviews in English with media across the Nordic countries.
Available for both breaking-news commentary and longer-form historical analysis.