Gender and Holiness: Men, Women and Saints in Late Medieval Europe

by Samantha J. E. Riches (Editor), Sam Riches (Editor)

This collection brings together two flourishing areas of medieval scholarship: gender and religion. It examines gender-specific religious practices and contends that the pursuit of holiness can destabilise binary gender itself. Though saints may be classified as masculine or feminine, holiness may also cut across gender divisions and demand a break from normally gendered behaviour. This work of interdisciplinary cultural history includes contributions from historians, art historians and literary critics and will be of interest not only to medievalists, but also to students of religion and gender in any period.

Genres: History, Medieval History

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good selection of essays that explore different aspects of gender and sexuality relating to late medieval religion. As with all essay collections, there are some pieces stronger than others and with a variety of scholars with a variety of approaches there will be some essays that strike readers as too esoteric or too imaginative. But a good overview all together.