Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe [Paperback]

Patricia Ranft (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312176791 | ISBN-13: 978-0312176792 | Publication Date: December 15, 1997

In her Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe, Patricia Ranft synthesizes the most recent research on women religious in chronological order and places these women in the center of the narrative. Starting with the fourth century birth of monasticism and continuing until the seventeenth century birth of the active congregation, Ranft's book puts to rest any lingering doubts about the pivotal role women have played in the development of Western culture and the Roman church. Written with both the scholar and student in mind, this is a long-awaited work that fills a gap in the history of western civilization, in the history of women, and in the history of the church.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Calling this narrative history, Ranft (history, Central Michigan Univ.) walks chronologically through the lives of religious women from Marcella in fourth-century Rome to Mary Ward's Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 17th-century England. Intent upon whatever is unusual and distinctive to each era, she notes, "[I]t is evident by now that the history of women religious is not an echo or mirror image of that of men religious." She disdains overly academic verbiage and succeeds in making accessible a mountain of useful and diverse information. However, a critical apparatus is noticeably lacking. Ranft never fully engages the issue of authorship or voice regarding female narratives. Nor does she suggest in more than a cursory way why women in different eras chose the religious path, other than through a sense of vocation. Still, she has done women's historical scholarship an immense service in collecting such a wealth of introductory information into a single volume. Recommended for women's history and religious collections.?Sandra Collins, SLIS, Univ. of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

This concise and accessible history of religious women from the fourth through the seventeenth century will prove an invaluable resource for students of European history. Though Ranft does not set out to be comprehensive, she offers ample evidence of the central role played by women in the formation of the religious life of Europe and in the history of premodern Europe. With an introductory audience in mind, she keeps references as unobtrusive as possible but offers pointers for those who wish to pursue the subject further. Of particular interest is Ranft's contribution to historical documentation of opportunities for leadership afforded European women by the religious life (and created by European women in the religious life) before the modern era, as well as resistance to those opportunities within the ecclesiastical hierarchy. This is not a supplement to the history of religious men so often offered as "standard" ; it is an integral contribution to the history of religious life in Europe and tells a story that should be read as indispensable to that history. Steve Schroeder --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 159 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (December 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312176791
• ISBN-13: 978-0312176792
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,780,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History of women in communal or solitary religious life, June 12, 1998

By 

M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe (Hardcover)

Having recently read Her Story, I expected another feminist rendering of Church history. Instead I found a very enlightening account of the repeated rise and fall of women's authority within their own religious communities, the struggle between active and enclosed views of women's roles, the tension between professed religious and committed lay visions of women's appropriate role. The book was most helpful in putting context around stories I already knew: St. Mary of the Desert, St. Catherine of Siena, Hildegaard of Bingen, etc.

The book is introductory - often too sparse in detail for my taste. However, it does paint the broad picture in detail interesting enough to make one want to read more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Religious Life Explained, August 1, 2009

By 

Chris Felcher (MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe (Paperback)

Author, Ranft gives a concise history of religious women from the 4th century through the 17th century. There is much evidence of the central role played by these women in the formation of the religious life in Europe and the premodern Europe.

Many forms of religious life are explained: ascetics,virgins,deaconesses, anchorites,ammas,beguines,oblates, beatae, nuns, canonesses, tertiaries and sisters.

The material is organized chronologically....with Chapter 1: The Beginning and Ending with Chapter 8: The Transition into the Modern Age.

Roles of different communities are highlighted such as The Grey Sisters, Ursulines, Visitandines, Poor Clares, Daughters of Charity,and Carmelites. The foundresses of many communities are included.

Interesting information regarding tertiaries (lay members of a religious third order)who became saints. To clarify the 1st order was the clergy 2nd order were women religious and third order were the lay members.

A very good reference book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable resource, December 10, 2008

By 

Mistress of Ravens (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe (Hardcover)

Ranft takes on a large time period in her discussion of religious women and their lives. Like her other books, this one is a must read.