Arthur Burns (historian) obituary – Arthur Burns, a renowned historian and professor of modern British history, passed away on October 3, 2023, at the age of 87.
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Burns was a respected scholar who specialized in the history of English religion since the mid-eighteenth century, particularly the history of the Church of England.
Also, he was a co-editor and co-founding member of the Studies in Modern British Religious History monograph series published by Boydell and Brewer.
Burns attended Balliol College in Oxford for his undergraduate studies and earned his doctorate there. He was also a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
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From 2012 to 2016, he oversaw the Royal Historical Society’s education policy, which governed how history is taught in both schools and universities.
Burns was also appointed academic director of the Georgian Papers Programme at King’s College London in 2017.
Burns was a prolific author and published several books and articles throughout his career.
His notable publications include The Diocesan Revival in the Church of England, c. 1800–1870, Rethinking the Age of Reform: Britain, 1780–1850, and St Paul’s: The Cathedral Church of London, 604–2004.
Arthur Burns’ contributions to the field of history will be remembered, and his passing is a great loss to the academic community. He is survived by his family, friends, and colleagues, who will miss him dearly.

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