PublicPast · Journal of Public History
Browse every issue of PublicPast, organised by volume and issue.
Crucially, medieval theologians distinguished between the guilt of sin (culpa) and the temporal punishment due for sin (poena). Confession and absolution, in this framework, removed guilt and the threat of eternal damnation, but the debt of temporal punishment remained, to be paid either in this life through penitential acts or in the next through the sufferings of purgatory. It was precisely this residual temporal punishment that the indulgence addressed. An indulgence did not forgive sin itself. Rather, it remitted, wholly or in part, the temporal punishment that remained after guilt had already been absolved through confession. The doctrinal machinery that made this remission possible was the concept of the "treasury of merit," systematized most fully by theologians such as Alexander of Hales and later Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century. According to this doctrine, the merits of Christ and the saints, being infinite and superabundant, formed a spiritual treasury upon which the Church, through the authority of the pope as Christ's vicar, could draw.
Before a vaccine arrived, a hulking steel cylinder was the difference between life and death for thousands of children. The iron lung was not elegant, and it was not small. But for a few terrifying decades, it was the most important machine in medicine.
The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the most debated and misunderstood in modern history. Rooted in competing national movements, colonial decisions, and decades of failed diplomacy, it has shaped the lives of millions of people across generations. This article traces the full arc of the conflict, from the late Ottoman era and the rise of two nationalisms, through the wars of 1948 and 1967, the Oslo peace process, and the deepening crisis of recent years. It presents the core arguments, historical grievances, and fundamental questions that remain unresolved, without taking sides.
Association football is the most widely played and watched sport on Earth, yet its origins stretch back far beyond the modern pitches of Europe and South America. This article traces the development of the game from early ball-kicking cultures in ancient China, Greece, and Rome, through the violent folk games of medieval Britain, to the codification of the Laws of the Game in 1863 and the eventual formation of FIFA in 1904. It examines the social forces, including class conflict, industrialization, and colonialism, that shaped how football spread across the globe, and considers the sport's transformation into a commercial and cultural phenomenon over the twentieth century. Written for a general audience, the article draws on historical scholarship to offer a clear, accessible, and evidence-based account of how a simple act, kicking a ball, became a shared human language
The automobile is one of the most consequential inventions of the modern era, reshaping not only transportation but also urban landscapes, social structures, economies, and cultures around the world. This article offers an accessible overview of the history of the car, tracing its development from the earliest steam-powered vehicles of the eighteenth century through the rise of mass production in the twentieth century and into the era of electric and autonomous vehicles. Drawing on established historical scholarship, this article aims to make the sweep of automotive history legible and engaging for general readers. Key themes include the role of individual inventors and large corporations, the social impacts of widespread car ownership, the environmental consequences of fossil fuel dependence, and the technological disruptions now reshaping the industry. Understanding this history helps us make sense of current debates about mobility, sustainability, and public space.
The dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa represents one of the most consequential episodes in the natural history of our species. This article synthesizes current paleoanthropological, archaeological, and genomic evidence to construct a comprehensive account of human migration from its African origins to the eventual peopling of every habitable continent. Drawing on fossil records, ancient DNA studies, and the material culture of prehistoric populations, the following sections examine the environmental pressures, biological adaptations, technological innovations, and hominin interactions that shaped the trajectory of Homo sapiens as a global species. Ongoing scholarly debates regarding migration timelines, routes, and interspecies contact are critically assessed, and directions for future research are proposed.
Browsing Issue
Crucially, medieval theologians distinguished between the guilt of sin (culpa) and the temporal punishment due for sin (poena). Confession and absolution, in this framework, removed guilt and the threat of eternal damnation, but the debt of temporal punishment remained, to be paid either in this life through penitential acts or in the next through the sufferings of purgatory. It was precisely this residual temporal punishment that the indulgence addressed. An indulgence did not forgive sin itself. Rather, it remitted, wholly or in part, the temporal punishment that remained after guilt had already been absolved through confession. The doctrinal machinery that made this remission possible was the concept of the "treasury of merit," systematized most fully by theologians such as Alexander of Hales and later Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century. According to this doctrine, the merits of Christ and the saints, being infinite and superabundant, formed a spiritual treasury upon which the Church, through the authority of the pope as Christ's vicar, could draw.
Before a vaccine arrived, a hulking steel cylinder was the difference between life and death for thousands of children. The iron lung was not elegant, and it was not small. But for a few terrifying decades, it was the most important machine in medicine.
The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the most debated and misunderstood in modern history. Rooted in competing national movements, colonial decisions, and decades of failed diplomacy, it has shaped the lives of millions of people across generations. This article traces the full arc of the conflict, from the late Ottoman era and the rise of two nationalisms, through the wars of 1948 and 1967, the Oslo peace process, and the deepening crisis of recent years. It presents the core arguments, historical grievances, and fundamental questions that remain unresolved, without taking sides.
Association football is the most widely played and watched sport on Earth, yet its origins stretch back far beyond the modern pitches of Europe and South America. This article traces the development of the game from early ball-kicking cultures in ancient China, Greece, and Rome, through the violent folk games of medieval Britain, to the codification of the Laws of the Game in 1863 and the eventual formation of FIFA in 1904. It examines the social forces, including class conflict, industrialization, and colonialism, that shaped how football spread across the globe, and considers the sport's transformation into a commercial and cultural phenomenon over the twentieth century. Written for a general audience, the article draws on historical scholarship to offer a clear, accessible, and evidence-based account of how a simple act, kicking a ball, became a shared human language
The automobile is one of the most consequential inventions of the modern era, reshaping not only transportation but also urban landscapes, social structures, economies, and cultures around the world. This article offers an accessible overview of the history of the car, tracing its development from the earliest steam-powered vehicles of the eighteenth century through the rise of mass production in the twentieth century and into the era of electric and autonomous vehicles. Drawing on established historical scholarship, this article aims to make the sweep of automotive history legible and engaging for general readers. Key themes include the role of individual inventors and large corporations, the social impacts of widespread car ownership, the environmental consequences of fossil fuel dependence, and the technological disruptions now reshaping the industry. Understanding this history helps us make sense of current debates about mobility, sustainability, and public space.
The dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa represents one of the most consequential episodes in the natural history of our species. This article synthesizes current paleoanthropological, archaeological, and genomic evidence to construct a comprehensive account of human migration from its African origins to the eventual peopling of every habitable continent. Drawing on fossil records, ancient DNA studies, and the material culture of prehistoric populations, the following sections examine the environmental pressures, biological adaptations, technological innovations, and hominin interactions that shaped the trajectory of Homo sapiens as a global species. Ongoing scholarly debates regarding migration timelines, routes, and interspecies contact are critically assessed, and directions for future research are proposed.
