From Virile Woman to WomanChrist
Studies in Medieval Religion and Literature
Format:Paperback
Publisher:University of Pennsylvania Press
Published:1st Jan '95
Should be back in stock very soon
This insightful book examines the transformation of women's spiritual roles in medieval Christianity, presenting the concept of 'womanChrist' as a unique feminine representation of Christ.
In From Virile Woman to WomanChrist, Barbara Newman explores the complex and evolving role of women in medieval Christianity. She poses challenging questions about the perceptions of female mystics and hagiographers during the late Middle Ages. Why did these writers commend mothers for leaving their young children? How did certain women come to identify as 'apostles to the dead,' ultimately contesting divine authority? Through her analysis, Newman delves into the intricate dynamics of gender and spirituality, revealing the multifaceted identities that women crafted in their pursuit of religious devotion.
The book highlights a significant shift in the understanding of women's roles within the church. Early Christian ideals suggested that women could attain equality with men by committing to a life of chastity and renouncing familial ties. However, as the medieval period progressed, a new ideal emerged. This concept of the 'womanChrist' allowed women to not only be seen as equals but to embody a superior spiritual essence through their unique experiences and attributes. By embracing qualities such as virginity, passion, and suffering, women could represent Christ in ways that were distinctly feminine, thus redefining their spiritual identities.
Newman's work is grounded in the real-life struggles and aspirations of women in medieval society. From Virile Woman to WomanChrist challenges traditional narratives and invites readers to reconsider the boundaries of orthodoxy and heresy. It promises to spark meaningful discussions across various academic fields, including medieval literature, religious history, and women's studies.
"Barbara Newman has written the most wide-ranging and throughly researched study to date of women's religious literature of the Middle Ages. Ranging across time . . . regional and linguistic borders . . . and genres, Newman provides enough examples to sink an armada of skeptics who would dismiss medieval female piety as somehow unrepresentative of high medieval culture. The range of examples is itself dazzling, and students of religious and feminist history will treasure this book. . . . But to prodigious learning and careful scholarship Newman adds . . . a writer's gift for being both clear and engaging. . . . From Virile Woman to WomanChrist is not only good scholarship but a good read." * Studies in the Age of Chaucer *
"Newman skillfully searches out explicit and implied attitudes toward the female sex. She uncovers, in addition to expected differences, a key contrast in what is meant by formation for each sex. . . . This book makes splendid contributions to religious and literary studies on more than one front. . . . The sheer comprehensiveness of the texts, themes, and persons integrated into this study recommends it to a wide readership." * Speculum *
"In this engaging, informative work, Barbara Newman intends to explore 'women's gender-specific dilemmas, choices, and ways of being Christian during the period from approximately 1100 through 1500.' . . . The important work of Newman certainly helps us to understand the background of the emergence of this still very 'intricate web' . . . of religious and intellectual teachings by women." * The Journal of Religion *
"Barbara Newman has written an erudite and wonderful book. Drawing on and in many ways surpassing the flood of work on medieval religious women produced in the past fifteen years . . . , she gives us a set of learned, thoughtful, and interrelated essays, written in lucid and beautiful prose. . . . From Virile Woman to WomanChrist should be required reading in every university-level women's studies course-for its method, its substance, and its prose." * Caroline Walker Bynum, The Catholic Historical Review *
- Winner of Awarded the 2009 Haskins Medal by the Medieval Academy of America 2021
ISBN: 9780812215458
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
424 pages