Religious communities and monasticism Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the rise of Islam, Muslim fascination with Christian monastic life was articulated through a fluid, piety-centred movement. Bradley Bowman explores this confessional synthesis between like-minded religious groups in the medieval Near East.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the rise of Islam, Muslim fascination with Christian monastic life was articulated through a fluid, piety-centred movement. Bradley Bowman explores this confessional synthesis between like-minded religious groups in the medieval Near East.Trade Review"Bowman's work is thought provoking besides being of great value and interest; it will be extremely useful to those seeking insights into the complexity of monasticism, early Islam, and interconfessional contacts, interaction, religious affiliation, and political allegiance between Muslims and Christians in Late Antiquity and beyond." -Basema Hamarneh, University of Vienna

Read more less

Book SynopsisA pioneering, comprehensive investigation into a major Italian monastery. The Benedictine abbey of Holy Trinity, Cava, has had a continuous existence since its foundation almost exactly a thousand years ago. From its modest beginnings, it developed during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries into one of the wealthiest and most influential monasteries in southern Italy. This path-breaking study, based on many years research into the, largely unpublished, charters of Cava, begins by examining the growth of the abbey's congregation and property, and its struggle subsequently to defend its interests during the troubled thirteenth century. But, in addition, it uses the extensive evidence available to study its benefactors and dependents, administration and economy, and through this material to analyse the social and economic structures of the principality of Salerno. There is also a re-evaluation of the problem of forgery, practised on a large scale at Cava during the thirteenth century, a factor which has complicated and discouraged previous study of this important institution. A major advance both in the study of the south Italian Church and of the medieval Mezzogiorno during the central Middle Ages, the volume presents a vivid and detailed picture of local society and its workings, and of the families and individuals who had dealings with the abbey.Trade ReviewThe Social World of the Abbey of Cava represents a deeply impressive piece of work offering a nuanced and multi-faceted reconstruction of a fascinating monastic institution. -- AL-MASAQ JOURNALG. A. Loud's thorough and innovative study of the sociopolitical contexts and institutional life of the abbey of Cava adroitly bridges social, institutional, and political history, and will be the standard historical work-for the foreseeable future-on the exterior life of Holy Trinity, Cava during its first three centuries. Loud does not restrict analysis to documents in Pergamene scelte, but provides a historiographically wide-ranging discussion of the administration, finances, political life, and socioeconomic entrenchment of Holy Trinity from its origins under the Lombards to the later thirteenth century. -- Mihow McKenny, University of Notre Dame * Fides et Historia *Table of ContentsList of maps and charts Acknowledgements Abbreviations A note on the organisation and publication of the Cava archive Dates Currency, weights and measures The Abbots of Cava, c. 1020-1300 Introduction Part I: the Abbey of Cava (1) The Origins of the Abbey of Cava: from hermitage to monastery (2) The Era of growth c. 1076-1190 (3) Defending monastic lordship, c. 1190-1300 (4) Forgery, its extent and purpose Part II: Society and Economy (5) Landscape and Environment (6) Patrons and Benefactors (7) Family Connections (8) Administration and Personnel (9) Lordship (10) Peasants, their obligations and the exploitation of Cava's lands (11) The monastery, the city and the regional economy Conclusion Appendix: Purchase and Expenditure by the Abbey of Cava, at Selected Periods between 1175-1230 Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt first sight the lives of hermits, living in solitude and committed to a life of prayer and contemplation seems to be a world apart of the active practice of interfaith dialogue. Yet, there is a long tradition of seeking the divine together and thus making a contribution to better mutual understanding and an active contribution to peace between Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism in India.Drawing on his experience of travelling to some of India's holy places, the life and work of writers like Thomas Merton, Charles de Foucauld and Abishaktanda and being himself a Benedictine hermit and Professor of Divinity at the University of St Andrews, Mario Aguilar opens up new possibilities for dialogue between three of the world's major religions in today's world. He shows how his own experience of an eremitic life has brought him into deep communion with pilgrims of other faiths, be it through shared silence or listening to each other's experience, through reading sacred scriptures together, through poetry or interfaith worship that draws on practices and texts from Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.This is a book for all engaged in interfaith dialogue and seeking to explore how spiritualities of silence, contemplation and prayer can make a contribution to peace and harmony in the world today.Trade ReviewIn a culture characterised by incessant noise, Mario Aguilar's celebration of the sound of silence could not be more welcome. This book will not only engage your mind with its thoughtful insights - its prayerfulness and beauty will touch your soul. -- Right Reverend Dr Russell Barr, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandIn this heartfelt and personal account, Professor Aguilar takes the reader on a journey into the practice and ideas of the hermit across traditions and his or her understanding of life as a journey to a fulfillment in a higher reality. This is an engaging and highly readable account. -- Professor Gavin Flood FBA, Senior Research Fellow, Campion Hall, Oxford UniversityProfessor Aguilar's book moves across continents and religious traditions with the ease and grace that comes from the depth and empathy of a lifetime's familiarity and study. Whether meeting Buddhists in Chile, Sikhs in India, or Hindus in Scotland we feel the personal friendships and experiences which have inspired him. However, its particular strength and uniqueness is the way he explores the places of the hermit's life as a site of meaning and sacred connectedness. Both those fresh to interreligious dialogue and lifelong practitioners and scholars in the discipline will find fresh insights and perspectives in the pages of this work. -- Paul Hedges, Associate Professor of Interreligious Studies at RSIS, NTU, Singapore and author of Towards Better Disagreement: Religion and Atheism in DialogueIn a world awash with chatter and superficial talk-fests, the choice of solitude and silence is spiritually challenging. Memory lives in silence. God is found there. With a deep and movingly autobiographical thread, The Way of the Hermit creatively probes the contribution of the eremitic life to Christian interfaith encounter. -- Professor Douglas Pratt, University of Waikato & University of BernDigging deep and drawing generously from the wells of experience and expertise, Professor Aguilar throws open the richness of dialogue that happens in the depths of silence and solitude that characterise a life of hermitage. Theologically imaginative and spiritually inspiring, the book recovers the potential of presence, poetry and prayer for dialogue in fresh and fascinating ways. -- The Reverend Dr Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar, Programme Executive, Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, World Council of Churches, SwitzerlandMario Aguilar's personal homage to silence is eloquent, lucid, and simple. Not so much an argument for silence or against words which remain fundamental in every tradition, his meditations witness to his own instinct for silence and his growing solitude as a hermit in the world. The story of a soul, The Way of the Hermit joins the canon of spiritual autobiographies, akin to the monastic journeys of Thomas Merton, Henri Le Saux, and Bede Griffiths. It mirrors the broad interreligious wisdom of Raimon Panikkar, and stands in harmony with a multitude of Hindu and Buddhist experiences in today's world. A contemplative gift, The Way of the Hermit aids us in recovering quiet in today's noisy world. -- Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Director, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University'How great the multitude of truths which the garment of words can never contain!' ~ Baha'u'llahDialogue in silence; speaking without words; this complex book explores the possibility of connection between faiths in the sacred space that silence allows and is a useful addition to the growing literature on interfaith dialogue. -- Dr Maureen Sier, Director of Interfaith ScotlandThis is Aguilar's first book on the eremitic life and how it relates to/enhances his own interfaith encounters, be they virtual or in situ. The broad range of topics he addresses and the variety of literary styles he uses-at times reflective, at times descriptive-can demand patience of the reader, but a patience that is well worth the effort. ..I found his work to be enlightening, informative, reflective, and provocative. He is a true seeker and peacemaker. -- Angela Del Greco, a lay consecrated hermit in the Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud and an Oblate of Saint Benedict * Monastic Interreligious Dialogue *The reader who has had experience of interfaith encounter will delight in this book. The reader whose experience of other traditions is more limited would find it a valuable introduction. Those of us who may feel oppressed by the noise and tumult of the world will find an invitation to an inner silence and an opportunity to explore our own cave of the heart, and the God who dwells therein. In this most valuable volume we may discover clues to intimacy with All in solitariness and the Voice of God in silence. -- Kevin Tingay * The Christian Parapsychologist *Table of ContentsIntroduction. Experiencing Dialogue. 1. Hermits in Christianity and Hinduism. 2. Ordering Time, Space and Meditation Together. 3. Inter-Faith Encounters and Silence. 4. Creating Liturgies for the Absolute. 5. Reading Texts: Upanishads and Bodhisattvas. 6. The Silence of Death. Appendix 1. An Indian Eucharistic Prayer. Appendix 2. Morning Christian-Hindu Prayers. Appendix 3. Evening Christian-Hindu Prayers. Appendix 4. Roman Indian Liturgy (Eucharist). Appendix 5. Christian-Hindu Liturgies (Midday Worship). Appendix 6. Declarations for a Shared Humanity (St. Andrews and India).

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Community of the Cross of Nails came into being as a result of the bombing of Coventry Cathedral in November 1940. Amid the destruction, two medieval nails were found lying in the shape of a cross – seen as a prophetic sign for the need of forgiveness and reconciliation, the people of Coventry offered forgiveness to the people of Germany at Christmas, just weeks after the bombing. Today, the Community of the Cross of Nails has 160 centres in 40 countries, working and praying to build peace, heal the wounds of history and enable people to grow together in hope through conferences, teaching in schools and prisons, and pilgrimages. This illustrated book tells its remarkable story from the beginning. It is also a work of contextual theology, offering reflection on the meaning of reconciliation in the contemporary world and relating experiences of imaginative forgiveness from Cape Town to Ground Zero. Published as part of Coventry Cathedral’s golden jubilee celebrations, this celebrates its continuing ministry of reconciliation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this collection Mary, the mother of Jesus, goes for a contemplative skate on a frozen pond where 'praises piggyback until her soul topples over', and John the Baptist tries to explain his purpose to a very perplexed Senator and chairman of the board. These are personal and universal, imaginative and biblically rooted reflections.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTraces the part of the rooting system which derives from the founding of the Iona Community in Scotland in the 1930's as an aid to understanding in terms of historical roots, distinctive features and experiences of struggle the significance of these communities.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis new edition of Norman Shanks' book (previously published by Hodder & Stoughton) is an outstanding introduction and guide to the spirituality, concerns and activities of the Iona Community, by a former Leader of the Community. A new chapter has been added to bring the book up to date. What is it that interests so many people in the work of the Iona Community and draws thousands of visitors each year to the tiny island of Iona? Apart from its magical beauty and sense of timelessness, one reason is to imbibe the spirituality of the Community. Norman Shanks shows how the Community, in its work on Iona and elsewhere, has developed an integrated vision which is rooted in everyday living. It is committed to peace-making and action on social issues; the breaking down of barriers between those of different faiths and styles of faith; and the development of new, relevant ways to worship. The Community's understanding of spirituality underpins its guest programme at the Abbey and MacLeod Centre on Iona and at Camas adventure centre on Mull, in which over a hundred guests take part each week. It also informs the work of the Community's members and staff throughout Britain and beyond. For those who want to apply an integrated, engaged and inclusive approach to spirituality in their own lives, this book is an inspiring and relevant resource.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Gazetteer Guide to the churches and Commanderies of the Knights of St John as they were at the moment of Suppression in 1540.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis first published edition of the Latin cartulary of Godstow Abbey outside Oxford is an important text for the history of medieval religious women. Compiled in the early fifteenth century, and probably written by Godstow''s prioress Alice of Eaton, it contains more than 900 documents written for and preserved by this well-known community of Benedictine nuns.The contents include a unique Anglo-Norman verse life of Ediva of Winchester, whose dreams prompted her to found the abbey in the early twelfth century. Numerous early charters in the cartulary identify other twelfth-century nuns and their relatives, and shed light on the founding of the abbey, its royal and private patronage, and its extensive real estate holdings. Other documents in the volume are excellent sources for women''s literacy and culture, religious practices in the diocese of Lincoln, social relations between the nuns and the larger community, and the local urban and rural economy in Oxfordshire and nearby counties.ThTrade ReviewThe Latin cartulary is an important source for the history of medieval Oxford ... a fine achievement. This is a distinguished addition to an important series. * Edmund King, History *The indexes provide a particularly full and helpful guide not only to persons and places but also to subjects. This is work of high quality which will not need to be done again. * J.R. Maddicott, English Historical Review *I can say with some confidence that this volume will supplant the earlier EETS edition as the principal source of reference for Godstow abbey's estate in the country. * Mark Page, Oxoniensia *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; The Manuscript ; The Contents of the Cartulary ; The Foundation of the Abbey ; The Foundation Legend Text ; Patronage and Benefactions ; Financial and Property Management ; Abbesses of Godstow ; Editorial Method ; TEXT ; Appendix A: Flyleaves ; Appendix B: Strays ; Appendix C: English Register Documents

Read more less

Book SynopsisConvent Autobiography reveals how English Catholic women wrote about themselves, their families, and their lives in a period where it was illegal to practice Catholicism in England. These nuns went into a two-fold kind of exile for their beliefs. They moved abroad and they died to the world, trying to cut ties with family and friends. Yet their convents needed support from outsiders to thrive. The nuns studied here reveal how they navigated this through their letters, printed works, paintings, and prayers. Often times these women wrote anonymously, a common practice for nuns, monks, and devout people of many religious persuasions up until the twentieth century. But anonymity was not just a neutral way of signalling humility or deep religious belief; it could allow people to write about themselves a lot more than they would have while writing under their own name. Exploring how some nuns exploited this to shape their convent''s chronicle around their own points of view, Convent AutobiogTrade ReviewThis book should be welcomed by those whose own interests lie beyond the spheres of Catholic history and women's writing. The book was undoubtedly framed with a broad readership in mind. Indeed, the author at all times assists in making it as accessible as possible to those unfamiliar with the topic. * Cormac Begadon, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *Readers will also value the glossary of conventual terms, the painstakingly detailed index and the fulsome bibliography, all of which are in keeping with the rigorous and methodical work offered in this study of conventual texts through the lens of autobiography studies. * Laurence Lux-Sterritt, Journal of Religious History *One of the most impressive aspects of Van Hyning's findings is her ability to isolate what she refers to as "acts of self-betrayal" (32), or moments where an individual nun inadvertently reveals facts about her own identity. When combined with palaeographic observations, manuscript analysis, and prosopographical data, Van Hyning convincingly identifies individual nuns as authors, often for the first time. * Liam Peter Temple, Church History *Convent Autobiography is a major contribution to criticism on early modern Catholicism, and it belongs on the bookshelves of scholars interested in autobiography, the convents abroad, cloistered writing, and monastic history. Van Hyning's intrepid detective work and ground-breaking treatment of autobiography will open up valuable new terrain for anyone specializing in history, literary studies, religious studies, and women's studies. * Jaime Goodrich, Wayne State University, British Cathlic History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDescribes the life of a Mongolian Buddhist monastery - the Mergen Monastery in Inner Mongolia - from inside its walls. From the Qing occupation of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries through the Cultural Revolution, the authors tell a story of religious formation, suppression, and survival over a history that spans three centuries.Trade Review"A Monastery in Time is a tremendously original product of almost fifteen years of painstaking scholarship. Caroline Humphrey and Hurelbaatar Ujeed combine an ethnography of a particular site, the Mergen Monastery in Inner Mongolia, with a theoretically informed description of what a tradition - the Mongolian Buddhist tradition or any tradition - actually is. The results are impressive both for the theory and for the ethnography of an important but little-known religious community." (Christopher P. Atwood, Indiana University)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisSome nuns in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Italy strayed far from the paradigms of monastic life. In this book, the author resurrects forgotten tales and restores to life the long-silent voices of these cloistered heroines. The nuns of early modern Italy, it shows, set the standard for religious transgression in their own age - and beyond.Trade Review"Monson, a... self-proclaimed 'archive mouse,' happily scurries into this forgotten repository, retrieving tales of sororal transgressions, which range from affairs to arson." (New Yorker) "Nuns Behaving Badly wears its learning with a smile, but it throws a sharp light into dark Roman Catholic corners." (Economist) "A gem of a book.... Monson writes with wry humour and a novelist's eye for detail, but the stories he uncovers would be extraordinary even without his narrative skill." (Literary Review)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisSome nuns in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Italy strayed far from the paradigms of monastic life. In this book, the author resurrects forgotten tales and restores to life the long-silent voices of these cloistered heroines. The nuns of early modern Italy, it shows, set the standard for religious transgression in their own age - and beyond.Trade Review"Monson, a... self-proclaimed 'archive mouse,' happily scurries into this forgotten repository, retrieving tales of sororal transgressions, which range from affairs to arson." (New Yorker) "Nuns Behaving Badly wears its learning with a smile, but it throws a sharp light into dark Roman Catholic corners." (Economist) "A gem of a book.... Monson writes with wry humour and a novelist's eye for detail, but the stories he uncovers would be extraordinary even without his narrative skill." (Literary Review)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis chronicle recount the history of the collective life of nuns in the convent of Corpus Domini, whose cloistered life was touched by the Great Western Schism and the Council of Constance. The necrology provides details of the lives of nearly 50 nuns who lived and died in the convent.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMaria de San Jose Salazar took the veil as a discalced (barefoot) Carmelite nun in 1571, becoming one of Teresa de Avila's most important collaborators in religious reform. This work is a defense of the practice of setting aside hours of the day for conversation, music and plays.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines the turbulent modern history and sociology of the Sri Lankan Buddhist Monkhood and its effects upon contemporary society. Using translated Sinhalese documents and interviews with monks, this text unravels the inner workings of this New Buddhism and the ideology on which it is based.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume builds upon the historical studies in Volume One and addresses three crucial questions: where is the congregation located in American cultural and religious life? What are congregations' qualities, tasks and roles? and, What patterns of leadership characterize American congregations?

Read more less

Book SynopsisTalbot surveys the forms of monastic life in the Byzantine Empire, highlighting distinctions for men and women and comparing Byzantine monasticism with its Western medieval counterpart.Trade Review"This book makes a major contribution in discussing a deceptively simple question: 'What was it like to live as a monk or nun in Byzantium?' In doing so, the author has combed a vast array of texts, particularly hagiographies, in order to gather together material on subjects as varied as clothing, food, handicrafts, access to fire and water, travel, attitudes to the natural environment and the fundamental issue of whether the communal or the solitary was the higher form of monastic life. She is an acknowledged expert on Byzantine nuns and it is refreshing to see female monasticism treated on an equal level with the male experience." —Rosemary Morris, University of York"Varieties of Monastic Experience brings together the author’s remarkable work as an editor, translator, and deeply learned commentator of Byzantine monastic texts. Richly detailed and engagingly written, this groundbreaking study of the various forms of middle and late Byzantine monasticism includes a comparison with medieval Western monasticism and an unparalleled study of female monastic life in the Byzantine world. This volume will not only be recognized as essential reading in the field but will also deservedly attain the status of a true classic" —Fr. Maximos Constas, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology"This is an important and long overdue study of the fascinating, complex field of Byzantine monasticism. In Varieties of Monastic Experience in Byzantium, 800–1453, Alice-Mary Talbot distills her vast knowledge of the subject into a series of lucid, informative, and meticulously researched essays. Her emphasis on the rich variety of Byzantine monastic experience challenges the traditional binary of community and solitary and paints a compelling image of the extraordinary wealth of opportunities available in the Byzantine world for men, women, and eunuchs to pursue their religious calling." —Richard Greenfield, Queen's University"Drawing on decades of reading, translating, and interpreting Byzantine Orthodox Christian monastic texts, Alice-Mary Talbot offers an invaluable handbook to the practicalities of Byzantine monasticism." —Speculum"No other scholar possesses greater facility with the foundation documents and hagiography of Byzantine Christianity than Talbot." —Reading ReligionTable of ContentsPreface Abbreviations List of Illustrations Introduction 1. Monks and Male Monasticism 2. Nuns and Nunneries 3. Hermits and Holy Mountains 4. Alternative Modes of Monasticism Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisReconsiders contemporary debates about ethics and subjectivity in an extended engagement with the works of fifth-century ascetic, John Cassian (ca. 360 - ca. 435), whose stories of extreme asceticism and transformative religious experience by desert elders helped to establish Christian monastic forms of life.Trade Review“This is a brilliant, original, and important work. Drawing upon the rich, complex ascetic and spiritual thought of late ancient Christian monastic writer John Cassian, Niki Kasumi Clements examines, critically and creatively, the very ground of ethics.” —Douglas E. Christie, author of The Blue Sapphire of the Mind"Clements not only offers a clearer understanding of the nuances in late ancient asceticism, but also contributes to contemporary debates on subjectivity, ethics and agency by inviting her audience to a reflexive engagement with the question of what it means to live well amidst contingencies and crises." —NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion"Clements’ text is not only a valuable contribution to the studies of religion – which it certainly is – but promises a broad and interdisciplinary impact." —Foucault Studies

Read more less

Book SynopsisA special anniversary edition of the biography of the man who made the phenomenon of Taize possible.Trade Review· Charmingly well written in a gentle and generous spirit. * Archbishop Desmond Tutu *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSt. Paul is generally considered the first Christian hermit, and the monastery built around his cave in Egypt is one of the very oldest. This sumptuous volume grew out of a conservation project of the monastery's superb wall paintings, which were broadly produced in two phases in the 13th and 18th centuries.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPachomius, who died in 346, has long been regarded as the founder of monasticism. This reading of the available texts, first published in 1985, reveals that Pachomius's pioneering enterprise has been consistently misread in light of later monastic practices.Trade Review"Masterful control of the sources and sympathy for the subject. . . . Pachomius has the additional interest of dealing with a classic instance of biographical and other material originally compiled rom oral tradition, with all the fascination and uncertainty that this brings to the interpretation of the story." * Times Literary Supplement *"An impressive and readable study, well argued and admirably documented." * Journal of Theological Studies *"[Rosseau] has made Pachomius a more understandable historical figure and has shown the uniqueness of the way of life he struggled to define." * American Historical Review *"This very readable and well-documented work provides a needed corrective to the superficial treatment of Pachomius found in many monastic histories." * Church History *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn apostolic lifestyle characterized by total material renunciation, homelessness, and begging was practiced by monks throughout the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries. This book presents a study of this type of Christian poverty and the challenge it posed for episcopal authority and the promotion of monasticism in late antiquity.Trade Review“Groundbreaking for those who study asceticism, monasticism, the uses of Late Antique biblical exegesis, church history, and most importantly church politics. . . . The very valuable translation of the Life of Alexander Akoimetos is an added benefit of the book." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"A detailed examination, with meticulous documentation, of the phenomenon of wandering and begging monks that appeared in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, especially in the eastern Mediterranean region and North Africa, during the formative period of Christian monasticism." * Byzantinische Zeitschrift *"A first-rate study of how the politics of reputation, bonds of patronage, and competition for scarce resources culminated in the bishops' tightened grip on monasteries and their networks of supporters. In addition to advancing scholarship on urban monasticism, ecclesiastical responses to poverty, and the social history of doctrine, Caner's thoroughly researched study will enhance future work on asceticism and pilgrimage." * Catholic Historical Review *"Caner has written in an entertaining and engaging style and packed this monograph fully and comprehensively with the details and impressions of what was the dilemma of Christian asceticism in the third-fifth centuries. Caner takes the reader a lot of places, and it is gratifying to see the significant role of Syriac-speaking asceticism being given its proper and measured place in the history." * Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies *“A model of scholarship: beautifully written and engaging, it clearly situates its subject in the larger historical context, demonstrates an impressive command . . . of relevant sources, and provides clear and compelling support for his interpretation." * Journal of Theological Studies *Table of ContentsAcknolwedgements Abbreviations Map Introduction Chapter One: Wandering in the Desert and the Virtues of Manual Labor Chapter Two: Practice What You Preach: Apostolic Wanderers of Third-Century Syria Chapter Three: In Support of People Who Pray: Apostolic Monasticism and the Messalian Controversy Chapter Four: Apostle and Heretic: The Controversial Career of Alexander the Sleepless Chapter Five: Hypocrites and Pseudomonks: Beggars, Bishops and Ascetic Teachers in Cities of the Early Fifth Century Chapter Six: Monastic Patronage and the Two Churches of Constantinople Epilogue Appendix: The Life of Alexander Akoimetos Select Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn apostolic lifestyle characterized by total material renunciation, homelessness, and begging was practiced by monks throughout the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries. Such monks often served as spiritual advisors to urban aristocrats whose patronage gave them considerable authority and independence from episcopal control. This book is the first comprehensive study of this type of Christian poverty and the challenge it posed for episcopal authority and the promotion of monasticism in late antiquity. Focusing on devotional practices, Daniel Caner draws together diverse testimony from Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, and elsewhereincluding the Pseudo-Clementine Letters to Virgins, Augustine's On the Work of Monks, John Chrysostom's homilies, legal codesto reveal gospel-inspired patterns of ascetic dependency and teaching from the third to the fifth centuries. Throughout, his point of departure is social and cultural history, especially the urban social history of the late Roman empire. He also introduces many charismatic individuals whose struggle to persist against church suppression of their chosen way of imitating Christ was fought with defiant conviction, and the book includes the first annotated English translation of the biography of Alexander Akoimetos (Alexander the Sleepless). Wandering, Begging Monks allows us to understand these fascinating figures of early Christianity in the full context of late Roman society.Trade Review“Groundbreaking for those who study asceticism, monasticism, the uses of Late Antique biblical exegesis, church history, and most importantly church politics. . . . The very valuable translation of the Life of Alexander Akoimetos is an added benefit of the book." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"A detailed examination, with meticulous documentation, of the phenomenon of wandering and begging monks that appeared in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, especially in the eastern Mediterranean region and North Africa, during the formative period of Christian monasticism." * Byzantinische Zeitschrift *"A first-rate study of how the politics of reputation, bonds of patronage, and competition for scarce resources culminated in the bishops' tightened grip on monasteries and their networks of supporters. In addition to advancing scholarship on urban monasticism, ecclesiastical responses to poverty, and the social history of doctrine, Caner's thoroughly researched study will enhance future work on asceticism and pilgrimage." * Catholic Historical Review *"Caner has written in an entertaining and engaging style and packed this monograph fully and comprehensively with the details and impressions of what was the dilemma of Christian asceticism in the third-fifth centuries. Caner takes the reader a lot of places, and it is gratifying to see the significant role of Syriac-speaking asceticism being given its proper and measured place in the history." * Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies *“A model of scholarship: beautifully written and engaging, it clearly situates its subject in the larger historical context, demonstrates an impressive command . . . of relevant sources, and provides clear and compelling support for his interpretation." * Journal of Theological Studies *Table of ContentsAcknolwedgementsAbbreviationsMapIntroductionChapter One: Wandering in the Desert and the Virtues of Manual LaborChapter Two: Practice What You Preach: Apostolic Wanderers of Third-Century SyriaChapter Three: In Support of People Who Pray: Apostolic Monasticism and the Messalian ControversyChapter Four: Apostle and Heretic: The Controversial Career of Alexander the SleeplessChapter Five: Hypocrites and Pseudomonks: Beggars, Bishops and Ascetic Teachers in Cities of the Early Fifth CenturyChapter Six: Monastic Patronage and the Two Churches of ConstantinopleEpilogueAppendix: The Life of Alexander AkoimetosSelect Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is the first ethnography of Tibetan Buddhist society from the perspective of its nuns. Gutschow lived for over three years among them, collecting their stories, observing them, and studying their lives. This picture of the little known culture provides valuable insight into the relationship between women and religion in South Asia today.Trade ReviewSolidly based on over a decade of fieldwork, Gutschow successfully dispels a number of stereotypical misconceptions about Buddhist monasticism in general and Buddhist nuns more specifically. She places monasticism in its necessary political and economic spheres, while not ignoring the pragmatic aspects of lived Buddhism. Being a Buddhist Nun transports women and nuns from their marginal peripheral position in Buddhist history to its ideological center. -- Frank J. Korom, Boston UniversityA brilliant analysis, beautifully written, of Buddhism as never before portrayed. Privileging popular practices and local informants over textual expertise, Gutschow takes us right into the heart of the contradictions between Buddhist doctrine and practice, showing the mechanisms that reinstate the very social hierarchies and injustices that the Buddha disdained. The book is a tour de force, a bold and courageous analysis that will change the field of Buddhist studies forever. A truly enlightening and extraordinary book. -- Unni Wikan, University of OsloBeing a Buddhist Nun is a persuasive and moving combination of vivid writing and sophisticated scholarship. The lived experience is wonderfully captured in both verbal and visual thick descriptions of foods, tasks, conversations, all the evocative phenomena of the everyday, while the book raises questions that are significant far beyond the Himalayas, ranging from the usual questions of gender--Why Cannot Nuns Be Monks?--for which Kim Gutschow offers new answers, to the not-so-usual questions of celibacy, in which she sees newly relevant values. -- Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Professor of the History of Religions, University of ChicagoIn many religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism, women are considered spiritually inferior to men and often suffer inequitable treatment in the wider society. Buddhism, with its highly egalitarian doctrine, is often perceived as being different. Gutschow shows that in this regard we have mistakenly focused on ideals rather than on actual practices. -- James F. DeRoche * Library Journal *The inescapable struggle of being a woman in a patriarchal system is the heart of Gutschow's work and permeates her further discussions, including ideologies of purity and pollution and Tantric approaches to the question of female enlightenment...Gutschow's analysis is penetrating, and her supporting anecdotes are often vivid and effective. Her work reveals that the reality of Himalayan Buddhist monasticism, far from being Shangri-La, is thoroughly rooted in the very foibles of the world it professes to renounce. * Publishers Weekly *Based on [Gutschow's] observations and research in Zangskar, the book describes a rigid hierarchy in which monks rule, enjoying power and prestige and conducting important ceremonies and rituals, such as blessing households and construction sites in their villages. Nuns, who must defer to monks and sit behind them at formal gatherings, are relegated to menial tasks, such as collecting the dung and sticks that the entire community will burn for fuel during the region's harsh winters. -- Anne Stuart * Harvard Magazine *Being a Buddhist Nun is a valuable account of the life of nuns in the Himalayan valley of Zanskar, a region of Ladakh in north-west India. The work is driven by a deep sense of injustice and a compelling focus on a remote society still medieval in character...[Gutschow] present[s] an unrivalled account of monastic economy and social anthropology in Ladakh. Her text is full of 'thick' description, delightful anecdotes, biographies of courageous and not so courageous nuns, as well as accounts of the personal joys and sufferings of individuals. Although she focuses on the often lamentable ways in which nuns suffer discrimination, she is not unduly disrespectful of the monastic system to which they belong; rather she subjects it to a prolonged and penetrating examination and interpretation. -- John Crook * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn W. O’Malley gives us the most comprehensive account ever written of the Society of Jesus in its founding years, one that heightens and transforms our understanding of the Jesuits in history and today.Trade ReviewNeither fazed nor overwhelmed, Father O’Malley never loses sight of the forest among the myriad trees… In this book three tenacious myths bite the dust. The first is that Ignatius had a detailed blueprint for his companions… A second myth is that the Jesuits were founded to combat the Reformation and to spearhead its Roman Catholic riposte, the Counter-Reformation… The third myth is that the Jesuits were founded as the pope’s shock troops… Far from being a simple chronicle, it is an account of how the Jesuits, led by the internal dynamism of the Holy Spirit, responded to unpredictable events and new needs. -- Peter Hebblethwaite * New York Times Book Review *A masterly account of the first generation [of Jesuits]…carried out with an economy and insight that compel admiration. -- Anthony Grafton * New York Review of Books *This is surely the best book ever written in English on the first Jesuits and the early Society of Jesus. It may well be the best book on that topic ever written in any language. This is a work that is deeply original, always clear, often brilliant. -- John Padberg * America *A magnificent achievement both of synthesis and interpretation. -- Philip Endean, S.J. * The Way *This is a major study of the first crucial years of one of the most important institutions of modern Europe. Perhaps the price of the impact of the Society of Jesus is that both hagiographical and demonic myths have encrusted its early history. This learned and eloquent study scrapes away those myths in order to tell the complex, almost improvisational history of the first twenty-five years of the Society of Jesus… No study in any language provides such an authoritative and fascinating picture. -- Paul F. Grendler * Journal of Modern History *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Foundations before the Founding Ignatius and the First Companions The Spiritual Exercises 2. Taking Shape for Ministry The Basic Framework The Campaign for Self-Understanding Pastoral Ideals and Practice Programs of Ministry 3. Ministries of the Word of God Preaching Sacred Lectures Conversation and Publication Teaching Christianity Missions to the Countryside The Exercises in Practice 4. Sacraments, Worship, Prayer Confession and Casuistry Holy Communion and the Eucharist Holy Orders Music and Worship Prayer 5. Works of Mercy Peacemaking Hospitals and Prisons Ministry to the Dying Ministry to Prostitutes Orphans and Daughters of Prostitutes Jews and New Christians Confraternities and the Marian Congregations 6. The Schools Toward Messina and Beyond The Faith in Education Transcending the Modus Parisiensis Jesuit Education Failures, Frustrations, and Crisis Training the Clergy The Impact of the Schools 7.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe 1950s and 60s were times of extraordinary social and political change across North America that re-drew the boundaries between traditional and progressive, conservative and liberal. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the history of Catholic nuns. During these two decades, nuns boldly experimented with their role in the church, removing their habits, rejecting the cloister, and fighting for social justice. The media quickly took to their cause and dubbed them 'the new nuns,' modern exemplars of liberated but sexually contained womanhood.With Visual Habits, Rebecca Sullivan brings this unexamined history of nuns to the fore, revisiting the intersection of three distinct movements - the Second Vatican Council, the second wave of feminism, and the sexual revolution - to explore the pivotal role nuns played in revamping cultural expectations of femininity and feminism.From The Nun's Story to The Flying Nun to The Singing Nun, nuns were a major preTrade ReviewVisual Habitsprovides a persuasive argument of how postwar worries concerning women were calmed by fantasizing about spunky women wearing veils. At the same time, it reminds us of the importance of imagining alternatives to the heterosexual family romance that is far from being the natural order of things. -- Colleen McDannell Bookforum - Oct/Nov 2005 Vol. 12 Issue 3 Visual Habits is a must-read in a culture that has forgotten the influence of professed religious in both women's history and pop culture...women religious, vocations directors and those with an interest in the films and folk music of the post-war era will enjoy grappling with this thought-provoking work. -- Dorothy Cummings The Catholic Register

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Artificiality of Christianity, the author's primary goal is to distill from monastic literature a poetical tool that can be used to decipher the literary structure of religious texts; a secondary goal is to show the centrality of monasticism to the specific experiences of Christian reading.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBorn in a provincial city in the Peruvian Andes, the Franciscan linguist and theologian Luis Geronimo de Ore (1554-1630) lived during a critical period in the formation of the modern world. In the first full-length biography of Ore, Noble David Cook and Alexandra Parma Cook reconstruct the friar’s life and the communities in which he circulated.Trade ReviewA masterful history." - John Frederick Schwaller, author of The History of the Catholic Church in Latin America: From Conquest to Revolution and Beyond"Noble David Cook and Alexandra Parma Cook's study is methodologically rigorous and meticulously comprehensive, the result of decades-long research of Oré's publications and reports, the social milieus in which they were produced, and the actions of the renowned figures with whom Oré interacted." - John Charles, author of Allies at Odds: The Andean Church and Its Indigenous Agents, 1583-1671

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"[An] erudite volume . . . Griffiths contributes importantly to a more inclusive depiction of female monastic life and male spirituality (a story of greater mutuality) and to a better-nuanced understanding of relations between men and women in medieval society." * Speculum *"The reform era was obsessed with clerical celibacy, yet it also witnessed a great expansion of women's religious life-and all those newly founded nunneries required priests to provide pastoral care. In an age known for its shrill misogyny, how did such priests justify their service to women, and what positive roles did nuns play in male spirituality? In her urgently needed book, Nuns' Priests' Tales, Fiona Griffiths teases out some fascinating answers." * Barbara Newman, Northwestern University *"This delightful and learned book examines the ways in which the ordained men who provided sacramental services and spiritual counsel for nuns understood their relationships with women. The setting is primarily the eleventh and twelfth centuries-a period when close bonds between priests and any female were viewed with deepening suspicion. Fiona J. Griffiths, however, explores the positive models that monks and priests evoked at that time to justify and even celebrate their charitable bonds with the nuns they served." * Megan McLaughlin, author of Sex, Gender, and Episcopal Authority in an Age of Reform, 1000-1122 *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Prologue Chapter 1. The Puzzle of the Nuns' Priest Chapter 2. Biblical Models: Women and Men in the Apostolic Life Chapter 3. Jerome and the Noble Women of Rome Chapter 4. Brothers, Sons, and Uncles: Nuns' Priests and Family Ties Chapter 5. Speaking to the Bridegroom: Women and the Power of Prayer Conclusion Appendix. Beati pauperes Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisTells the story of Robert of Arbrissel (ca 1045-1116). Robert was a parish priest, longtime student, reformer, hermit, wandering preacher, and founder of the abbey of Fontevraud. This book narrates the course of Robert's life and his relationships with others along the way, and includes notes, a bibliography, and an introduction to the book.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFocuses on a Greek text that was likely compiled in Constantinople, in 1105, for use in one of the monasteries located there. The book consists of a liturgical psalter, containing the fixed structure (the ordinary) in both the Greek original and in English translation, as well as a description of the hours themselves.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe second in a series of collected essays looking at Indian Buddhism.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDocuments from the major convent at Bruges shed fresh and illuminating light on its life.The English Augustinian Canonesses at Bruges kept records of daily life and key events in their convent from its foundation in 1629. Living in exile, members of the convent were well-aware of their importance to the survival of English Catholicism for women. Keeping full records served to maintain a reputation which would attract influential and wealthy benefactors and well-qualified members; but the Bruges Chronicles are far more than window-dressing. They introduce the reader to members at every level, from impressive community leaders to candidates who failed to live up to expectations and were tactfully nudged out before profession. We meet Prioresses who take on major challenges in fund-raising to pay for building projects, manage disagreements over spiritual direction and adjust to new relationships with secular authorities, the impact of the Enlightenment and finally war. There are some intense personal dramas that unfold alongside nuns who followed the monastic rule to the letter and served the community faithfully over many years. Above all, the the Chronicles reflect the wide-ranging interests of the members, and show clearly that this enclosed community was well-connected with an extensive support network. The Chronicles edited in this volume, taking the story to the eighteenth century and a decision as to whether or not to return to England,are presented with introduction and full notes. Dr Caroline Bowden is a Senior Research Fellow, Queen Mary, University of London.Trade ReviewProvides an invaluable, first-hand insight into the existence of an English Catholic convent in exile, for a period of some 160 or so years.... Bowden's study is meticulous, both in its editing and faithfulness to the original texts, but also with regard to the supplementary appendices. * JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY *This volume makes available to scholars and students a fascinating set of materials that will surely spark much new, valuable research and many contributions to the lively scholarly conversation on early modern English nuns in exile. * SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY NEWS *The Chronicles reveal much about individual lives and trajectories of these nuns . . . [and] give a vivid picture of communal life in the cloister. . . . Caroline Bowden has produced a rich edition. * EARLY MODERN WOMEN *Provides a richly-detailed narrative of cloistered life and a fascinating example of convent writing..It will be required reading for those working on early modern monasticism or women writers, and of great interest to scholars in history and religion more generally. * BRITISH CATHOLIC HISTORY *A splendid volume.hard to fault.[E]xcellent. * HISTORIANS OF WOMEN RELIGIOUS *Table of ContentsEditorial Preface Introduction Volume 1: 1629-1729 Volume 2: 1729-1794 Glossary Appendix 1: Other Convents mentioned in the Chronicle Appendix 2: A Note on Money Appendix 3: Calendar of Feasts and Saints' Days at Nazareth Select Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Emergence of Monasticism offers a new approach to the subject, placing its development against the dynamic of both social and religious change. First study in any language to cover the formative period of medieval monasticism. Gives particular attention to the contribution of women to ascetic and monastic life. Trade Review‘An indispensable and valuable book.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘... the book succeeds admirably in making technical material accessible to the general reader.’ English Historical Review ‘The goal of this work, very successfully achieved, is a comprehensive view of monastic history ... throughout the book [Dunn] brings the reader quickly to understand a host of scholarly controversies without overburdening her text. Speculum '... a thorough reading of the major secondary studies of the past generation ... The extensive notes, substantial biliography and detailed index will be of great use.' Ecclesiastical History "This deserves to be widely recommended... a fascinating and thorough book" Morwenna Ludlow, MindTable of ContentsPreface. List of Abbreviations. 1. The Emergence of Christian Eremiticism. 2. The Development of Communal Life. 3. Women in Early Monasticism. 4. The Meaning of Asceticism. 5. The Evolution of Monasticism in the West. 6. The Rule of St Benedicts and its Italian Setting. 7. Britain and Ireland. 8. Irish peregrini and European Monasticism. 9. Monasticism and Society in the Seventh Century. Bibliography. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisShannen Dee Williams provides a comprehensive history of Black Catholic nuns in the United States, tracing how Black sisters’ struggles were central to the long African American freedom movement.Trade Review“Deeply researched, elegantly written, and boldly argued, Subversive Habits is a brilliant excavation of the long political history of Black nuns. This is extraordinary scholarship that is as accessible as it is groundbreaking and illuminating. This timely and essential book widens the frames of Black women’s history, of religion and activism, and of Black Catholicism.” -- Barbara D. Savage, author of * Your Spirits Walk beside Us: The Politics of Black Religion *“Sweeping in its scope, exhaustively researched, and balanced in presentation,Subversive Habits is a seminal history of Black Catholic Nuns and their struggle for equality and justice in the Catholic Church.” -- Bettye Collier-Thomas, author of * Jesus, Jobs, and Justice: African American Women and Religion *"An awe-inspiring history book about Black nuns who fought for freedom and equality. . . . Subversive Habits is a stirring history text about the remarkable faith and conviction of Black nuns in America." -- Melissa Wuske * Foreword *(Starred Review) "Informative and often surprising, this should be required reading for scholars of Catholic and African American religious history and will undoubtedly become the standard text on its subject." * Publishers Weekly *"The 'uncommon faithfulness' of the nuns in Subversive Habits—taking the church at its word when it teaches that we are all one body—is a model of discipleship from which all Catholics can learn." -- Kathleen Manning * U.S. Catholic *"Shannen Williams's book chronicles the bold steps and persistence African-American sisters took to debunk their rejection by white orders that insisted Black women lacked souls and/or virtue suitable to be admitted to them. . . . This outstanding book, Subversive Habits, is well-researched, quite revealing and a set of history and reality lessons of how Black sisters kept the faith and made the Catholic Church change." -- Ralph E. Moore, Jr. * The AFRO *"This eye-opening, inspiring and thoroughly researched book unearths a history that few Americans know: the challenges and triumphs of Black Catholic nuns in the United States. It’s one of the most exciting new books in Black women’s history and powerfully captures the interconnections between race, religion and politics." -- Keisha Blain * Politico *"Subversive Habits demands a committed reader. However, it will reward the resilient and open-minded reader with apokalupsis—tremendous learning about the scope of racism throughout the American Catholic Church as well as the witness of these Black Catholic women and their contributions to the church and the world. Please take up the reading and stick with it. Draw some perseverance from the women the book depicts and take heart in their commitment to justice." -- Kevin Spinale * America *"Subversive Habits brings a very necessary balance to histories published in recent decades that focus on civil rights work by Catholics. It seems these historians were writing about the exception and not the norm. This is the story of courageous nuns, including those who felt they couldn't remain any longer, who are the true gems of American Catholic history. Every woman religious must read this book." -- Laura Swan * Magistra *"In Subversive Habits, historian Williams has given us a remarkable work of scholarship, one that may be distressing for many readers because she clears away any shred of doubt about the U.S. Catholic Church being racist from its very beginnings." -- Kathleen Finley * The Tablet *"I have never read a more thoughtful account of the Black Catholic experience than Shannen Dee Williams’ Subversive Habits. Williams’ book is a revelatory history of the experiences of Black religious women in understanding race, faith, and change in the Catholic church from the antebellum period through the various waves of civil-rights struggle to the contemporary era." -- Marcia Chatelain * Chronicle of Higher Education * "Williams seeks to tell the story of these women and of the Black and majority white sisterhoods in which they participated. The account is well documented, and Williams includes a look at the current departures of Black sisters from religious life and considers the likely future of Black female religious communities. Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals." -- L. H. Hoyle * Choice *"Williams's book is the go-to work on Black women religious in the United States during and in the afterlife of slavery. Future scholars, practitioners, and interlocutors are indebted to this brilliant author for the treasure trove she has gifted us." -- Ahmad Greene-Hayes * Journal of Southern History *Table of ContentsAbbreviations ix Note on Terminology xiii Preface: Bearing Witness to a Silenced Past xv Acknowledgments xix Introduction. America’s Forgotten Black Freedom Fighters 1 1. Our Sole Wish Is to Do the Will of God: The Early Struggles of Black Catholic Sisters in the United States 23 2. Nothing Is Too Good for the Youth of Our Race: The Fight for Black-Administered Catholic Education during Jim Crow 61 3. Is the Order Catholic Enough? The Struggle to Desegregate White Sisterhoods after World War II 103 4. I Was Fired Up to Go to Selma: Black Sisters, the Second Vatican Council, and the Fight for Civil Rights 134 5. Liberation Is Our First Priority: Black Nuns and Black Power 167 6. No Schools, No Churches! The Fight to Save Black Catholic Education in the 1970s 200 7. The Future of the Black Catholic Nun Is Dubious: African American Sisters in the Age of Church Decline 231 Conclusion. The Catholic Church Wouldn't Be Catholic If It Wasn’t for Us 259 Glossary 271 Notes 273 Bibliography 345 Index 371

Read more less

Book SynopsisStealing Obedience explores how a Christian notion of agent action where freedom incurs responsibility was a component of identity in the last hundred years of Anglo-Saxon England, and investigates where agency (in the modern sense) might be sought in these narratives.Trade Review'Imaginative and sophisticated monograph... Katherine O'Brien O'Keeffe must be warmly congratulated on her fine accomplishment, which will be useful to scholars interested in English monastic life and obedience on either side of the Norman Conquest.' -- Francesca Tinti Speculum vol 90:01:2015 'Solid cultural and historical grounding, artfully framed by appropriate theoretical models, characterize this study... Highly recommended' -- M.B. Busbee Choice Magazine; vol 50:04:2012 'Stealing Obedience is a fresh look at a body of narrative sources which have only rarely been theorized and troubled so effectively.' -- Justin Haar Comitatus vol 44: September 2013 'A pleasure to read...Speaks to a range of disciplinary interests, and deserves attention as an authoritative contribution to debates about identity and selfhood in Middle Ages.' -- Catherine A.M. Clarke Modern Language Review vol 108:04:2013Table of ContentsPlate Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: On Stealing Obedience 1: Dunstan in the Theatre of Choice 2: 'Esto quod es': Aelfric's Colloquy and the Imperatives of Monastic Identity 3: Edith's Choice 4: Leaving Wilton: Gunhild and the Phantoms of Agency 5: The Silence of Eve Afterword Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Dark Age Nunneries, Steven Vanderputten dismantles the common view of women religious between 800 and 1050 as disempowered or even disinterested witnesses to their own lives. It is based on a study of primary sources from forty female monastic communities in Lotharingiaa politically and culturally diverse region that boasted an extraordinarily high number of such institutions. Vanderputten highlights the attempts by women religious and their leaders, as well as the clerics and the laymen and -women sympathetic to their cause, to construct localized narratives of self, preserve or expand their agency as religious communities, and remain involved in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of the laity amid changing contexts and expectations on the part of the Church and secular authorities.Rather than a dark age in which female monasticism withered under such factors as the assertion of male religious authority, the secularization of its institutions, and the precipitous Trade ReviewThe book illuminates the little-explored landscape of female monasticism. Vanderputten demonstrates that the current narratives remain oversimplified, and opens up possibilities for its revision. * Sehepunkte *Previous generations of modern historians describe Lotharingian female monasticism as inadequate, lax, and unobservant. In Dark Age Nunneries, Steven Vanderputten puts us right by offering a compelling alternative analysis. -- Elisabeth Van Houts, Emmanuel College * SPECULUM *An impressive volume [that] will be useful to all scholars of monasticism, particularly in its nuanced analysis of communities' interaction with normative texts. * EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Setting the Boundaries for Legitimate Experimentation 2. Holy Vessels, Brides of Christ: Ambiguous Ninth-Century Realities 3. Transitions, Continuities, and the Struggle for Monastic Lordship 4. Reforms, Semi-reforms, and the Silencing of Women Religious in the Tenth Century 5. New Beginnings 6. Monastic Ambiguities in the New Millennium Conclusion

Read more less