Overview

Medieval Women Monastics makes women's monastic tradition come alive in uniquely gifted women of prayer and action. It presents in English the rich monastic legacy of women religious by gathering the life stories of outstanding medieval women monastics. Written by eighteen contemporary Benedictine women authors from thirteen religious communities in the United States, England, and Australia, this work tells of the surprisingly varied accomplishments of medieval fore sisters, most of whom are rarely acknowledged by historians for their wisdom and contributions to their culture. Originating with Scholastica of Nursia (sixth century) and concluding with Gertrude More of Cambrai (seventeenth century), this book presents accounts of the multi-talented nuns and canonesses who helped Christianize Europe across twelve centuries. The focus in this volume is primarily on the Anglo-Saxon, Austrian, and Germanic monastic women since many American monasteries originated through the Abbeys of Wimborne, Nonnberg, and EichstSett. Each chapter provides a brief biographical interpretation of a particular woman monastic, a synopsis of her spirituality, and a summary of her significance for the contemporary Church, society, and the global world. The women included are St. Scholastica of Nursia, St. Hilda of Whitby, St. Frideswide of Oxford, St. Erentrude of Nonnberg, St. Walburga of EichstSett, St. Leoba of Bischofsheim, St. Thecla of Kitzingen, St. Irmengard of Chiemsee, Hrotsvit of Ganderscheim, the Holy Hildegard of Bingen, St. Elisabeth of Schönau, Herrad of Hohenbourg, St. Lutgard of Aywières, Mechtild of Magdeburg, St. Mechtild of Hackeborn, St. Gertrud the Great of Helfta, and Gertrude More of Cambrai.

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Reviews

In our own times when women have made such strides toward assuming a rightful autonomy as well as leadership within the Church, Christian women Protestant as well as Roman Catholic are hungering to discover whether there were other women at all like themselves through the centuries. This book, describing as it does the lives, yearning for God, strength of character and accomplishments of many great Benedictine women from the sixth to the seventeenth centuries will satisfy some of that hunger.Roberta C. Bondi, Candler School of Theology

Author Information

Linda Kulzer, OSB, PhD, is co-editor of Medieval Women Monastics: Wisdom's Wellsprings and Purity of Heart in Early Ascetic and Monastic Literature: Essays in Honor of Juana Raasch, OSB, published by The Liturgical Press.

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