Dr Andrew Crome
Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History
My profile
Biography
I’m a specialist in English religious history, focusing on the development of ideas about the end of the world in the 17th, 18th (and sometimes, when I’m feeling bold, the 19th and 20th!) centuries. I’m fascinated by the interaction between beliefs and political actions, and how thinking about something like the apocalypse impacts upon daily life. I also write about religion and 21st century popular culture, especially about Doctor Who and contemporary fandoms.
I am currently supervising PhD students working on 19th Cenutry American prophets, the history of Christian Zionism, and apocalyptic imagery in video games. I welcome enquiries from students interested in working on topics involving religion, apocalypse or pop culture.
Words of wisdom
Most importantly - keep on top of your reading!
A historian I greatly respect once told me that “Nothing is unworthy of study if it was important to people at some point”. It’s advice I’ve always followed, for better or worse!
Academic and professional qualifications
PhD - University of Manchester, 2009
BA (Hons) Theology and Ancient History - University of Wales, 2004
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Teaching
Why do I teach?
I love introducing students to new ideas, historical movements, and concepts, and seeing people develop and deepen their understanding. It’s brilliant to be able to work with people who are fascinated by studying history and to learn from them as well.
How I’ll teach you
Teaching will be interactive and engaging - I tend to get quite passionate about my interests, so will hope to communicate that enthusiasm to you. The learning process isn’t just about you “absorbing” knowledge, but about us working together to develop your skills and interests in the subject.
Research outputs
I’m a historian of apocalyptic thought, focused mainly on the 17th and 18th century England and the Atlantic world. I’m particularly interested in how ideas about the restoration of the Jewish people to Palestine influenced developing concepts of national identity. This forms the basis of my next book, which will be published in 2017.
In the past I have also written about religion and contemporary popular culture, and in my spare time continue to work on a short book about Christianity and pop culture fandom.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Crome, A. (2018) Christian Zionism and English National Identity, 1600-1850. Palgrave Macmillan.
Crome, A. (2016) Prophecy and Eschatology in the Transatlantic World, 1550−1800. Palgrave Macmillan.
Crome, A. (2014) The Restoration of the Jews: Early Modern Hermeneutics, Eschatology, and National Identity in the Works of Thomas Brightman. Springer.
Crome, A., McGrath, J. (2013) Time and Relative Dimensions in Faith: Religion and Doctor Who. Darton, Longman and Todd.
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Chapters in books
Crome, A.P. (2018) 'Heaven Sent? The Afterlife, Immortality and Controversy in the Moffat\Capaldi era.' In O'Day, A. (ed.) Doctor Who: Twelfth Night Adventures in Time and Space with Peter Capaldi. I. B. Tauris,
Crome, A.P. (2016) 'The Restoration of the Jews in Transatlantic Context, 1600-1680.' In Crome, A. (ed.) Prophecy and Eschatology in the Transatlantic World, 1550−1800. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 127-150.
Crome, A.P. (2016) 'Introduction.' In Crome, A. (ed.) Prophecy and Eschatology in the Transatlantic World, 1550−1800. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-32.
Crome, A.P. (2016) 'The Jewish Indian theory and Protestant use of Catholic thought in the early modern Atlantic.' In Gribben, C., Spurlock, S. (ed.) Puritans and Catholics in the Trans-Atlantic World 1600-1800. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 112-130.
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Media
Crome, A. Beyond Belief - BBC Radio 4.
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Internet publications
Crome, A.P. (2017) Meet the ‘Bronies’: adult fans giving My Little Pony a marketing headache. https://theconversation.com/meet-the-bronies-adult-fans-giving-my-little-pony-a-marketing-headache-85226.
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Journal articles
Crome, A. (2023) 'Developing religious literacy through popular culture fandom: engaging religious issues in Fleabag fan fiction.' Journal of Contemporary Religion,
Crome, A. (2022) 'The Münster Rising, Memories of Violence, and Perceptions of Dissent in Restoration England.' The Historical Journal, 65(4) pp. 946-968.
Crome, A. (2021) 'Seductive Splendour and Caricatured Simplicity.' Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, 97(1) pp. 111-128.
Crome, A. (2020) '"Wonderful", "Hot", "Good" Priests: Clergy on Contemporary British TV and the New Visibility of Religion Thesis.' Religions, 11(1)
Crome, A. (2019) 'Considering eighteenth-century prophecy as transformative work.' Transformative Works and Cultures, (30)
Crome, A. (2019) 'Cosplay in the pulpit and ponies at prayer: Christian faith and lived religion in wider fan culture.' Culture and Religion, 20(2) pp. 129-150.
Crome, A.P. (2018) 'Plugging Into the Papal Mainframe: The Political Role of the Church in Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who.' Journal of Popular Television, 6(2) pp. 213-226.
Crome, A. (2015) 'Left Behind or Left Below? Parodies of Christian End-Times Fiction in American Popular Culture.' JOURNAL OF AMERICAN CULTURE, 38(4) pp. 386-400.
Crome, A. (2015) 'The 1753 'Jew Bill' Controversy: Jewish Restoration to Palestine, Biblical Prophecy, and English National Identity.' The English Historical Review, 130(547) pp. 1449-1478.
Crome, A. (2015) 'Politics and eschatology: Reassessing the appeal of the “jewish Indian” theory in England and new England in the 1650s.' Journal of Religious History, 40(3) pp. 326-346.
Crome, A. (2015) 'Religion and the Pathologization of Fandom: Religion, Reason, and Controversy in My Little Pony Fandom.' Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 27(2) pp. 130-147.
Crome, A. (2015) 'Implicit religion in popular culture: The case of doctor who.' Implicit Religion, 18(4) pp. 439-455.
Crome, A. (2014) 'Reconsidering religion and fandom: Christian fan works in My Little Pony fandom.' Culture and Religion, 15(4) pp. 399-418.
Crome, A. (2011) 'Language and Millennialism in the Evolving Editions of Thomas Wilson’sChristian Dictionary(1612–1678).' Reformation & Renaissance Review, 13(3) pp. 311-337.
Crome, A. (2011) 'Constructing the political prophet in 1640s England.' Seventeenth Century, 26(2) pp. 279-298.
Crome, A. (2010) ''The proper and naturall meaning of the Prophets': The hermeneutic roots of Judeo-centric eschatology.' Renaissance Studies, 24(5) pp. 725-741.
Press and media
Media appearances or involvement
I have written for the BBC Website, NME and The Conversation and appeared on BBC Radio 4, Radio 5, Radio Manchester, Key 103 and a number of local radio stations. I have also been interviewed by The Times, The Independent and USA Today about my research.
I welcome media enquiries on apocalyptic beliefs and their history, religion and popular culture, and fandom.