Women in the Body and Spirit

Abstract

Medieval England was deeply connected to the Christian church in many different ways. Most social and cultural influences came from the church, and one of the major parts of that cultural influence was the established patriarchal society perpetuated by religious leaders. Women were considered to be of a lower class than men, not only in secular circles but religious ones especially. Here, I examine some of the texts which were foundational to this history of misogyny in the church, and what they say about women and their role in the religious world. Additionally, I look at what women writing at the time had to say about themselves and their relationship to God and the church. Through all of this, I intend to question what influence medieval English women had on Christian doctrine and theology, and what impact their writing may have had in the long term.