author
David Burr
A leading historian of medieval Christianity, he wrote clearly and deeply about Franciscan poverty, apocalyptic thought, and church conflict in the late Middle Ages. His work helped make difficult religious debates feel human, vivid, and historically grounded.
1 Audiobook
The Irish War
by David Burr, Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County
About the author
Born in 1934, David Burr was an American historian of medieval church history who taught at Virginia Tech from 1966 until 2001 and later became professor emeritus. He died on December 6, 2025, at age 91.
His scholarship centered on the Franciscan movement and the religious controversies of the 13th and 14th centuries. Books such as The Spiritual Franciscans: From Protest to Persecution in the Century After Saint Francis and The Persecution of Peter Olivi made him especially well known, and The Spiritual Franciscans received major prizes in Italian history, church history, and medieval studies.
He studied at Oberlin College, Union Theological Seminary, and Duke University. Across his career, he became known as an expert on medieval dissent, poverty, and apocalyptic belief, writing books and many articles that remain important for readers interested in how ideas, institutions, and conscience collided in the medieval world.