David Maxwell

David James Maxwell (born 8 December 1963) is a British historian and academic, specialising in the missionary movement and Christianity in Africa. He is the Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Cambridge and professorial fellow of Emmanuel College.

Early life Maxwell was born on 8 December 1963 in Bushey, Hertfordshire, England. He studied history at the University of Manchester, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1986. He went on to undertake postgraduate research in African History at St Antony's College, Oxford, and graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1994. His doctoral thesis was titled "A social and conceptual history of North-East Zimbabwe, 1890–1990".

Academic career Maxwell began his academic career not as a lecturer but as a teacher. Between his bachelor's degree and doctorate, he taught for three years in a rural secondary school in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. In 2011, he left Keele to join the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge, he is the Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History and is a professorial fellow of Emmanuel College. He is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Ecclesiastical History.

Honours In 1996, Maxwell was the recipient of the Audrey Richards prize for the best doctoral thesis in African Studies.