This book is based on an in-depth conversation between Howard Burton and Miri Rubin, Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History at Queen Mary University of London. After behind-the-scenes insights into Miri Rubin’s career path which led her from chemistry to working in an orthopaedic hospital to studying medieval history with a ‘cultural anthropologist” persuasion to the subject of medieval Christianity, this wide-ranging conversation covers several books that Miri Rubin has written, including The Life and Passion of William of Norwich; Mother of God: A History of the Virgin Mary; Emotion and Devotion: The Meaning of Mary in Medieval Religious Cultures; The Middle Ages: A Very Short Introduction; and Cities of Strangers: Making Lives in Medieval Europe.This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Cultural Contact, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:I. Historical Beginnings - From Jerusalem to CambridgeII. Life on the Ground -Hope, human agency and hemorrhoidsIII. William of Norwich - Fabricating hatredIV. Mother of God - An ambitious projectV. Doing History - Then, now and in the futureAbout Ideas Roadshow Conversations:This book is part of a series of 100 Ideas Roadshow Conversations. Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research featuring world-leading researchers but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.