Customer Reviews

Women and the Religious Life in Premodern Europe

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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.

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.

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.