Biography

A church historian and specialist in the study of Carolingian manuscripts, Professor Keefe has taught at Duke since 1988. Her work has involved texts on baptism and the creeds, especially as they relate to the instruction of the clergy. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, visiting remote libraries, churches, and monasteries to study original manuscripts. Her book, Water and the Word—Baptism and the Instruction of the Clergy in the Carolingian Empire: A Study of Texts and Manuscripts was published by the University of Notre Dame Press in 2002. Her teaching interests are in the church writers of the fourth through ninth century, and in medieval spirituality, especially the writings of medieval women mystics.