Whether a Christian Woman Should Be Educated and Other Writings from Her Intellectual Circle

The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe: The Chicago Series

by Anna Maria van Schurman, Joyce L. Irwin (Translator)

Advocate and exemplar of women's education, female of aristocratic birth and modest demeanor, Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678) was one of Reformation Europe's most renowned writers defending women's intelligence. From her early teens, Schurman garnered recognition and admiration for her accomplishments in languages, philosophy, poetry, and painting. As an adult she actively engaged in written correspondence and debate with Europe's leading intellectuals. Nevertheless, Schurman refused to regard herself as an anomaly among women. A supporter of the female sex, she argues that the same rigorous education that shaped her should be made available to all Christian daughters of the aristocracy.

Gathered here in meticulous translation are Anna Maria van Schurman's defense of women's education, her letters to other learned women, and her own account of her early life, as well as responses to her work from male contemporaries, and rare writings by Schurman's mentor, Voetius. This volume will interest the general reader as well as students of women's, religious, and social history.

Genres: History, Feminism

174 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

About the author

Anna Maria van Schurman (November 5, 1607–May 14 or 15, 1678) was a German-born Dutch painter, engraver, poet, and scholar, who is best known for her exceptional learning and her defense of female education.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Michael]

This book is an assigned book for a class I'm teaching, but is truly insightful as to how an intellectual woman wrote and learned in 17th century Holland. Her logic still applies!

[Noritaatje]

Veel op gevloekt tijdens het lezen, maar deze vrouw is een gekke girlboss. Zij heeft alle argumenten van mannen zo goed weerlegt, ik snap niet waarom dit geen bekender boek is

[Holly Morris]

I just discovered that this book is good for those who are interested in understanding from the perspective of the logical and the wisdom of the biblical verses that the author says from her own faith. She grew up believing that women are not known as a result of the uneducated and the faith in the broadening of the world’s knowledge through God’s goodness and glory. This book gives me a great deep thinking of the responses that the author says that I have a difficult time to read which requires me to do it again..

Holly

[Leone Mattheus]

Go Van Schurman! (Technisch gezien heb ik enkel de vertaling gelezen, dus ik kan nu geen commentaar leveren op het moeilijke Latijn.)
Love hoe de boodschap van dit boek ook eigenlijk de titel is van het werk.
Vrouw achter de gordijnen - in de universiteitszaal, je weet maar nooit dat die mannen waren afgeleid door de aanwezigheid van een vrouw - én feministe avant la lettre, Anna Maria was een icoon.

[Jessie Wittman]

Technically I only read the English translation of Voetius’ Concerning Women in this book.