Dr. George Hoffmann

Biography

George Hoffmann is a Professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan, specializing in 16th-century French literature and the interplay of literature, culture, and religion during the Reformation era. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1990. His research focuses on how Renaissance authors framed religious debates through their literary works, particularly how satire emerged as a crucial mode of critique against Roman Catholicism. Hoffmann's notable publications include 'Reforming French Culture: Satire, Spiritual Alienation, and Connection with Strangers' (Oxford, 2018) and 'Montaigne's Career' (Oxford, 1998), which examines the complexities of Montaigne's writings within the historical context of the French Wars of Religion. He has also explored topics such as object theory, post-secular theory, and the judicial history of social movements in France. His ongoing projects investigate the material bases of faith and the political implications of religious practice in contemporary France, contributing to discussions on secularism and pluralism in the modern world. Hoffmann is also an active educator, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses that cover a range of topics from French literature to critical theory, and he continues to engage students with insights drawn from his extensive research and scholarship.

Research Interests