Dear Reader, Welcome to another year of EPOCH, and to Issue 23 – ‘Religion and Belief’! This issue has been put together slightly differently, as our Editorial Team have not been able to meet in person due to their various PhD commitments. Two Editors are away on research trips to India, others have found employment in South Wales and Exeter, whilst another has been marooned in deepest, darkest Cumbria – a sort of ‘EPOCH in exile’, if you will. Undeterred, they have been working hard with contributors new and old spread across the world to bring you over a dozen articles at the forefront of historical research. Before we dive into the articles we have compiled for your perusal, we have several parish notices to announce. First, some wonderful news regarding two long-standing Editors. Before Christmas, both Jude Rowley and Alex Rome-Griffin passed their Vivas and are now officially Dr. Rowley and Dr. Rome-Griffin – well done lads! This fantastic news comes with a slightly sad caveat, as Jude steps down from his role as Joint Co-Ordinating Editor to focus on his career with the University of Exeter. Jude joined the EPOCH team as our International History Editor in June 2024 after writing several fascinating articles on the murky institutional history surrounding Lancaster University. In February 2025, Jude took on the role of Joint Co-Ordinating Editor with Alex Pomeroy and together they have overseen the release of Issues 19 to 23 as Lancaster’s favourite ‘Max and Paddy’ tribute act. Jude helped to steer the magazine through some tricky times to ensure it’s longevity for many years to come, and will remain onboard until Issue 24 to finish work on his remaining articles with Alex becoming EPOCH’s new Co-Ordinating Editor. From space communists to the hallowed ground of Turton FC, Jude has been a pleasure to work alongside and he leaves with our very best wishes – good luck fella! Elsewhere, we are excited to bring news of two fantastic UK-based events for all historically-minded individuals. The first is the Canterbury Medieval Weekend 2026 (1–3 May), a fascinating programme of twenty in-person talks held in two venues at the University of Kent to investigate all things medieval. The programme can be viewed and tickets purchased on their dedicated websites, with all profits going to the Canterbury Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (CAMEMS) to help Kent MEMS postgraduates. This is sure to be an excellent event for a worthy cause, so book in advance to secure your place. Back north, we are happy to share details for the thirty-first edition of the Lancaster Historical Postgraduate Conference (LHPC) with a dedicated page on the EPOCH website with all FAQs and submissions information! This year’s conference will be held from 24-26 June at Lancaster University, and the LHPC team have a ton of fantastic ideas planned for the 2026 conference, including collaboration with EPOCH magazine. The conference theme is ‘Legacy and Lens’, but all abstracts are welcomed as long as they are historical in nature. The deadline for submissions is 28 March 2026 - mark your calendars! Returning to Issue 23, we are delighted to present some fascinating articles fitting our theme of ‘Religion and Belief’. Join Ellen Walkingshaw’s investigation into the multifaceted roles of angels throughout history, uncover the lives and humour of nuns with Heather Glover, learn the comical tales used to educate medieval laity with John Manley, and explore William Morris’ love of religious architecture with Maggie Langford. As always, we also have various articles spanning time and space. For those with modern interests, Aleksa Andrejevic has detailed the fascinating strategies prototyped by British diplomats in Malta to appease local nobility, George Tanton brings to life the toils of Boer War veterans in Edwardian society, and Daniel Evans has highlighted his family story of Hans J. Reissner’s scientific brilliance, survival, and attempted erasure from the pages of history. For medievalists, Josh Coulthard returns with another tutorial for the study of Celtic law texts, Eddie Meehan sheds light on soap opera-esque drama amongst the Carolingians, and Victor Temprano highlights how our skewed understanding of medieval maps continues to shape popular culture. Finally, crossing centuries to demonstrate the lineage of major problems in the world today, Maia Evill-Pearce heeds a warning regarding the potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence to historical study, and Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere examines an ongoing battle by indigenous groups in the Philippines to protect their territory from capitalist exploitation. All being well, these fantastic articles should keep you busy for the next few months as we push into spring and the first tentative signs of summer. Once reunited in early April, the Editorial Team will turn their attentions towards Issue 24, out June 2026. Themed around ‘Bodies and Emotions’, we are keen on submissions focused on these areas of study but welcome all submissions with a historical focus. Until then, take care, and we hope you enjoy this issue of EPOCH! Sincerely, The Editorial Board