Vincente Fischer de Miranda Rodrigues wins KHMW Brouwer Thesis Prize for History
Master's student Vincente Fischer de Miranda Rodrigues is the winner of the KHMW Brewer Thesis Prize for History. He was awarded the prize for his research on donatism.
Donatism was an offshoot of Christianity in North Africa at the time of the Roman Empire. It was long seen as a protest movement, but Fischer de Miranda Rodrigues argues on the basis of tomb culture that donatism was actually conservative in maintaining a martyr cult, while Catholics sought innovation.
Fischer de Miranda Rodrigues is pleased with the recognition he is receiving through the award. ‘While I always found my topic fascinating and derived immense joy from researching it, I often came up against dead ends or moments of doubt about my approach. At times, my thesis even felt almost unattainable. I was fortunate to have the support of many friends and colleagues, but it was my incredible supervisor, Prof. Jürgen Zangenberg, who truly helped channel my enthusiasm. His guidance enabled me to focus and refine my ideas. Having my work, which I laboured over for so long, recognised by the historians of the KHMW is an immense honour. This recognition not only brings me great joy but also inspires me to continue pursuing an academic career with renewed determination. I hope to continue my research in a PhD track on the identities of marginalised groups, such as early Christian schismatics.
About the prize
The Royal Holland Society of Sciences, enabled by the Jan Brouwer Fund, has awarded thesis prizes for the humanities and social sciences every year since 2015. A sum of three thousand euros is attached to each prize.