Michael Laver Headshot

Michael Laver

Professor

Department of History
College of Liberal Arts

Office Location

Michael Laver

Professor

Department of History
College of Liberal Arts

Education

BA, Purdue University; MA, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Bio

Research Interests: History of East Asia; Early Modern History; History of Japan; History of Christianity; History of Baseball 

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Areas of Expertise

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Full Length Book
Laver, Michael. The Dutch East India Company in Early Modern Japan: Gift Giving and Diplomacy. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Press, 2020. Print.
Laver, Michael. The Sakoku Edicts and the Politics of Tokugawa Hegemony. Amherst, NY: Cambria Press, 2011. Print.
Laver, Michael. Japan’s Economy by Proxy in the Seventeenth Century: China, The Netherlands, and the Bakufu. Amherst, NY: Cambria Press, 2008. Print.
Journal Paper
Laver, Michael. "Seeing History in New Ways: Woodblock Prints and the Historical Imagination." World History Connected. October (2018): N/A. Web.
Laver, Michael. "Most Exquisite Curiosities of Nature and Art: The Dutch East India Company, Objets d’Art and Gift Giving in Early Modern Japan." World History Connected 10:2. June, 2013 (2013): N/A. Web.
Laver, Michael. "Butter Diplomacy: Food and Drink as a Social Lubricant in Dutch East India Company Trade with Japan." Education About Asia. Spring (2012): 5-8. Print.
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Published Review
Laver, Michael. Rev. of Government by Mourning: Death and Political Integration in Japan, 1603-1912, by Atsuko Hirai. The Journal of Japanese Studies Dec. 2018: 195-199. Print.
Laver, Michael. Rev. of Matteo Ricci and the Catholic Mission to China: A Short History with Documents, by R. Po-chia Hsia. Education About Asia Sep. 2017: N/A. Print.
Laver, Michael. Rev. of Pioneers to Partners: The Reformed Church in America and Christian Mission with the Japanese, by Gordon Laman. Itinerario 2013: N/A. Print.
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Invited Article/Publication
Laver, Michael. "Introduction: The Sea in World History." World History Bulletin. (2016). Web.
Book Chapter
Laver, Michael. "Neither Here nor There: Trade, Piracy, and the ‘Space Between’ in Early Modern East Asia”." Sea Rovers, Silk, and Samurai: Maritime East Asia in World History 1500-1750. Ed. Tonio Andrade and Xing Hang. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai\'i PRess, 2016. N/A. Print.
Laver, Michael. "A Whole New World Order." Japan Emerges: Introductory Essays on Premodern History. Ed. Karl Friday. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2012. N/A. Print.
Laver, Michael. "Diplomacy, Piracy, and the Space Between." Japan Emerges: Introductory Essays on Premodern History. Ed. Karl Friday. Boulder, C: Westview Press, 2012. N/A. Print.
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Formal Presentation
Laver, Michael. “Through a Glass Darkly: Christianity and the Politics of Control in Tokugawa Japan.” Sustainable Asia: Challenges and Opportunities. 38th Annual Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies Conference. State College, PA. 23 Oct. 2010. Presentation.
Laver, Michael. “Gift-giving and the Politics of Legitimacy in Tokugawa Japan.” 59th Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs. Columbus, OH. 30 Oct. 2010. Presentation.

Currently Teaching

HIST-160
3 Credits
Understanding the history of East Asia is integral to understanding the complex world that we live in, and will help us to understand that no single nation can live in isolation. One cannot endeavor to understand limited national entities alone; rather one must understand the interactions between cultures and across borders that help to define the world. Japan, for example, cannot be adequately understood without reference to China, Korea, and one might argue, the wider world. Therefore, we will undertake in this course to examine the region of East Asia historically from about 1600 to the present, paying special attention to interactions between the cultures and people of the region.
HIST-255
3 Credits
This course will cover the military, diplomatic, political, social, and cultural history of World War II. It will focus on the causes of the war, the battles that decided the war, the leaders (civilian and military) who made the key decisions, and how the war changed society. The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with the political, social, economic, military, and cultural history of WWII and that conflict's impact upon our own era.
HIST-261
3 Credits
China occupies a rather large place in the consciousness of most Americas. It is the most populous country in the world, it has one of the biggest economies in the world and, in many ways, China has been seen to be in direct competition with America. Whatever the truth of these ideas, it is clear that China will play a major role on the world stage for the foreseeable future. This class will seek to analyze the historical circumstances surrounding the rise of modern China. What were the conditions that led to the establishment of, first, Nationalist China, followed by the People's Republic; why did the communist government enjoy such popular support; what were China's relations with the outside world; and finally, what is the state of China today? These are all questions that we will seek to answer in this course.
HIST-369
3 Credits
The history of Christianity is not simply the history of the religion of the west. Rather, Christian history is a long and complex movement that has profoundly affected Asia, Africa, Europe, and the New World. At various times there were several competing ideologies of Christianity, of which the west's was only a single example. Christianity also has a long history of interacting with other religions, from Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism to Judaism and Islam. This course will trace the development of Christianity paying special attention to how the Christian tradition developed in places such as Africa and Asia. We will, of course, also study Christianity in its western forms, but we will make an effort to dive into the rich tradition of this religion in all its many forms.
HIST-370
3 Credits
This course will examine the history of the world’s larger religious traditions, including origins, development in particular societies, and modern forms. This course will explore the formal doctrines of various religions, as well as popular cultural manifestations. Topics will include the role of religion in state formation, nationalism, and colonialism, as well as how religions adapt themselves to local cultures and societies as they spread across regions.
HIST-465
3 Credits
One of the most enduring images of premodern Japan in the samurai, replete with sword and armor. This course will seek to examine the role of the samurai in Japanese history, examining popular perceptions in Japanese film, woodblock prints, and texts. We will also use a variety of secondary sources to critically examine some of the portrayals of the samurai and how they stand up to historical reality. Students will be encouraged to participate in extensive discussions as we deal with a great variety of media and try to arrive at an image of the samurai that is historically accurate. And finally, we will examine issues such as feudalism and the warrior code and how those historical concepts relate to the west at about the same time period.