‘You shall all live together in harmony and spiritual unity’: Images of Abbesses and Female Religious Communities in the Empire
Andrea Worm
Traditionally women were denied access to positions of official religious authority within Christianity and therefore compelled explore other avenues acquire express spiritual leadership. Through twelve case studies covering different regions in Europe, this volume considers the nuances what constituted female authority, how it was acquired manifested by women, evolved from high Middle Ages Early Modern period. Whilst current scholarship often emphasizes binaries fields gender examines manifestation its multiple facets. It looks both at individuals displaying exceptional forms agency such as prophesying, well more commonplace, communal activities letter-writing music-making. By taking into account pervasiveness spirituality society a whole Pre-Modern era, collection essays renegotiates relationship between social domain. chronological organization contributions insight is gained changes means could take 1150 1750. The narrative clearly impacted late medieval enclosure policies changing modes spirituality. Whereas earlier period tended represent themselves door through which God advance towards mankind, later on they functioned frequently portal others God.
Europa Sacra