David Kertzer

David Kertzer is an American researcher, sociologist and anthropologist who specializes in the history and culture of Italy. He is most renowned for his research on the intertwined political, social, and economic history of the papacy and Italian culture. His works, which explore the Catholic Church power and its impact on Italian culture, have gained him international recognition and multiple awards.

David Kertzer was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1947 and educated at the University of Chicago, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1969. He received his doctorate in anthropology and Italian studies from Harvard University in 1976. Kertzer has taught at several universities around the world, including Brown University and Harvard University. He is currently a professor at Brown University and a Research Associate at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard.

David Kertzer's works have become crucial references when analyzing the Church's relationship with Italian contemporary history. He is well known for his book The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe, which won the National Bookaward for Non-Fiction in 2015. The book is a remarkable biography of the tumultuous relationship between Pope Pius XI and the young fascist leader of Italy, Benito Mussolini, and of how their quiet interaction would shape Italy and the future of Europe. Based on massive archival research, Kertzer’s book painstakingly reconstructs the dynamics between Church and Fascism from the years preceding Mussolini’s rise to power, through the compromises and betrayals of the later pontificate of Pius XI.

Kertzer has written numerous other books including The Popes Against the Jews, in which he investigates the way in which Popes throughout the 19th century worked to keep Jews out of Italy's most important cities, guarded Italian Catholicism from “contamination” by Judaism, and generally worked to oppress the Italian Jews. His other works include Prisoner of the Vatican, The Dual Nature of Italian Fascism, and Kidnapping the Pope: The Secret Plot to Capture Pius XII.

In the academic and non-academic worlds, Kertzer is now a highly respected figure. His works have been translated into multiple languages and continue to be widely used as references throughout the world to gain better understanding of modern history, in particular by those studying Italy and the Vatican's power measures. Because of his achievement and expertise in the field, Kertzer is regularly called upon as an expert to give lectures and participate in roundtable discussions. He is also a frequent contributor to various newspapers and famous academic journals.

Overall, David Kertzer is one of the most prolific authors and scholars of Italian history and culture and one of the most renowned experts of the Church and its influence in Italy. His works have contributed significantly to our understanding of contemporary Italy and the Vatican's influence in European historical context. His books are remarkable contributions to scholarship and will continue to shape the way scholars and observers interpret the complexity of the Italian past.