All posts by Julia Cole

Mapping Non-Cloistered Religious Women

The Other Sister Research Group met on March 7, 2025 to discuss the topic of “Mapping Non-Cloistered Religious Women”. It was organized by Delfi Nieto-Isabel and Tanya Stabler-Miller, and chaired by the latter. Tanya introduced the four projects which explore the experiences of pre-modern women outside of the cloister.

  • Tracy Chapman Hamilton (Sweet Briar College), working with Mariah Proctor-Tiffany (California State University, Long Beach): Mapping Medieval Women

Using material and textual archival sources, mappingthemedievalwoman.com makes visible women’s foundations, rituals, residences, convents, and work in the cityscape of Paris c. 1300.

  • Michelle M. Sauer (University of North Dakota) and Justin Wigard (University of North Dakota): Mapping Anchorholds of the Northwest Atlantic

In this project, sacred space of the medieval past comes alive with the tools of modern geomapping. The project creates a digital map of extant anchorholds along with the sites of textual production of anchoritic and anchoritic-affiliated texts (including sites of their original composition, places where copying occurs, and maps of dialectal features). This has not been done before in any form despite the importance of space to this religious life.

  • Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel (Queen Mary University of London): ILLITTERATAE – Digital Cataloguing and Historical Network Analysis of Dissident Beguines in the Western Mediterranean

Using social network analysis, geographic information systems, and other digital tools, ILLITTERATAE locates and maps the activity of groups of beguins and beguines associated with the reforming branch of the Franciscan order in western Mediterranean cities.

  • Eleonora Rava (University of St Andrews) and Frances Andrews (University of St Andrews): Recluses Mapping Project

The project was initially part of, “InSpeCo. Inside Speaker’s Corner. Late Medieval Italian Anchoresses in European Context” funded by a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship in 2016-2018 (https://arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/inspeco/map/). The map, which is automatically generated by a relational database of recluses, illuminates the presence of recluses throughout Italy.

Tracy Chapman began with an overview of the project mappingthemedievalwoman.com. It started in 2014, when Tracy and Mariah Proctor-Tiffany learned how to use ArcGIS in their work as art historians. Using ArcGIS, they marked the same sites on both a historic and modern map of Paris in order to ‘geo-rectify’ it, to then use the map to represent information about several women who became queens of France. They also traced these queens’ actions in the city to see how they honored both their natal land and their marital land. They did so through founding chapels, supervising the creation of specific objects, and more, therefore forging their own identity through those actions. The project maps networks of exchange for these queens, specifically their networks in Paris. Other locations were also mapped, such as burial sites and religious and educational foundations. The project works to display how visible these elite women were. The team next investigated tax rolls which led to the discovery of other women, especially those who worked in the arts, who were very wealthy and successful and had a strong presence in the tax rolls as significant businesswomen. These women were added to the map, with specifications about their trade, parish, and street. The project brings together many maps, sources, and data points, to show how visible women were in Paris c. 1300. While Paris might have been thought to be mainly a domain of men, this project challenges that notion, and locates women participating in society fully, even in jobs which are typically coded as masculine (carpenters, gravelmakers, masons). One of the joys of the project, Tracy shared, is the collaboration with other scholars on this project to expand it and include more women.

Tracy handed things back to Tanya (Stabler Miller), who is also involved in the project. Tanya briefly shared more information about beguines living outside of the beguinage in Paris. Many of these women worked, holding highly skilled jobs and paying significant taxes. They can be followed through tax rolls over time. Tanya highlighted the importance of mapping to understand how beguines lived, for example clustered around a specific parish church, and how their networks functioned in the city.

The next project was ‘Mapping Anchorholds of the Northwest Atlantic’ introduced by Michelle M. Sauer (University of North Dakota) and Justin Wigard (University of North Dakota). It is worth underlining that Justin is not a medievalist but specializes in twentieth- and twenty-first century literature, comic studies, and popular culture, but brought technical expertise to the project. Their project is an interactive ArcGIS map of known anchorholds in the northwest Atlantic region, showing each site with known information and photographs. Michelle shared that for 25 years she has explored the Northwest Atlantic looking for anchorholds, leading to an understanding of how recluses were highly integrated into their communities and to urban networks (such as roads and bridges). Justin shared how the mapping of the project worked, which includes over 300 sites of anchorholds. By mapping the sites, clusters of anchorholds can be identified and better understood. Each site includes the associated church, anchorite title, patrons, dates, and other information if known. There are also photographs and primary source documents. Michelle and Justin gave an example of how the project works by using a Sussex case. Justin highlighted how much content there is and how much more information there is to continue adding to the project. This could include hermitages, holy wells, and other related sites. The project is not yet available but with some additions Justin and Michelle are hopeful that it will be accessible to the public shortly.

Next, Tanya introduced Delfi I. Nieto-Isabel (Queen Mary University of London), a co-organizer of The Other Sister, and her project, ILLITTERATAE – Digital Cataloguing and Historical Network Analysis of Dissident Beguines in the Western Mediterranean. Using social network analysis, geographic information systems, and other digital tools, ILLITTERATAE locates and maps the activity of groups of beguins and beguines associated with the reforming branch of the Franciscan order in western Mediterranean cities. Delfi explained that while she does mapping, she is less concerned with geographic mapping and more with other forms of mapping. The project is based on the question of what roles illiterate women (those who didn’t understand Latin) played in religious dissidence movements, focusing on beguines and their male counterparts, beguins. These groups were based in different areas of the western Mediterranean and were increasingly suspected of heretical beliefs. They were strongly associated with radical Franciscans. After May 7, 1314, when Franciscan friars were burned at the stake for the first time, the movement spiralled out of control. Delfi consulted a multitude of sources in many archives and libraries, including inquisition manuals and other materials which discuss these women; the coordinates of where to find these sources is included in the project. The ‘actors’ interface’ shows where we can find each woman (with her age, religious status, marital status, and in which sources she is mentioned) and her social network.  From here, the maps allow researchers to find gaps in sources and ask new questions.

One such question concerns the leadership of men and women in these movements. Delfi shared that the project reveals that the leadership of men can be seen as circumstantial – disappearing when the man in question was arrested –, while that of women is generally charismatic and community-based. Indeed, usually, women’s groups had formed even before persecution began and were able to survive the arrest of a given woman. Delfi hopes to make a better history using these networks.

Next, Tanya introduced Eleonora Rava (University of St Andrews) and Frances Andrews (University of St Andrews), who joined to share their ‘Recluses Mapping Project’ for Italy. It was one of the outputs of the project “InSpeCo (Inside Speaker’s Corner): Late Medieval Italian Anchoresses in European Context” funded by a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship in 2016-2018 (https://arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/inspeco/map/). It tracks known and anonymous recluses from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. The map is automatically generated by a relational database of recluses hosted on Research Computing technical infrastructure maintained by St Andrews IT Services. This type of project has not been undertaken in Italy before and is important because of the idea that urban reclusion relied on local context and therefore varied highly between locations. The map ties together sites which otherwise appear unrelated, showing new connections and a better understanding of recluse networks and how they interacted with the urban and natural environment. The website includes registers, chronicles, and many other sources. The project uses a multidisciplinary approach. The database is available to the public online, except for the transcript of the documents, which will be made available once Eleonora’s monograph on recluses is published. Currently, the project includes 1068 entries, providing researchers with extensive information. The mapping project can be adapted to the needs of researchers by altering the period, sorting recluses by gender, specific location, etc. It illustrates how extensive the instance of male and female reclusion was, where it occurred, its distribution, etc. This can show how far recluses were at times from towns, political borders, and more.

Next, Tanya opened the discussion up to questions. Isabelle Cochelin asked both presenters about the gender of their recluses; she specifically cited an article (Clare M. Dowding, “’A Certain Tourelle on London Wall… Was Granted…. For Him to Inhabit the Same’: London Anchorites and the City Wall,” Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures, 41/2 [2016] 44-55) which seemed to refer to as many male recluses as female recluses in late medieval London. She asked; how much was it representative of what was to be found in England compared to the situation on the continent? Eleonora answered that in Italy, female recluses were much more common. Male recluses were often priests or friars when they did occur. Justin answered that in their project, recluses also appear to be mainly women, though there are examples of men.

Tracy asked Michelle and Justin if they built their project starting with a simpler map or keeping true to modern maps. Justin answered that so far, they have used the default map but have been working to rectify it to consider the historic spaces. Michelle agreed that it is a challenge to balance historic landmarks with modern factors like modern administrative divisions.

Next, Renate Blumenfield-Kosinski asked about the technology that Delfi used. She answered that Kumu was the software, which had superior analysis capabilities but less comprehensive mapping capacity. Renate also asked Tracy and Tanya if the women listed in the Paris project worked independently, or if they shared a workshop, and if they seem to have been completely independent from men. Tanya explained that the tax rolls listed only a limited number of actors; in most cases married women are obscured from the sources by reference to their husband. She shared that sometimes married women showed up in the tax rolls, but it was rare. Singlewomen and beguines show up as long as they make a significant enough income. She added that the clusters of beguines are treated as distinct working groups within the rolls.  Tracy added that widows offer a striking example of women’s work. She finds the networks between all these women, widowed, singlewomen and beguines, especially fascinating.

Delfi added that she finds many unnamed women in her sources and includes them in her project to include them in the record, with names like ‘woman from Avignon’. Excluding women for not having a name was one of the issues that Delfi identified in projects like this. She stated that problem-solving this kind of issue is important.

Laura Moncion asked Tracy, Tanya, and Justin if their maps cover one moment or a period and how they express time in their projects. Tanya answered that the tax rolls cover about a decade around the year 1300. Other added data points also surround this period, but she hopes to expand the capabilities of the project to increase the data and other capabilities. Justin answered for their project that each map point has its own date but that he has gained new ideas for how to sort by chronological date in their project.

Next, Meghan Lescault asked how those who are interested can start adding digital humanities projects to their repertoire and how this can work alongside their other responsibilities when they want to obtain an academic position and, later, tenure. Delfi answered that there has been a movement asking for time and support to create digital humanities, especially in European funding schemes. Medievalists, she shared, are especially active in developing digital projects. Tracy added that discipline also matters in this, sharing that art historians have been working to convince departments to start including digital humanities materials in their criteria for hiring and granting tenure, and taking them as seriously as publications. Delfi also offered advice to those who wish to make a project like this, that databases have downloadable materials with a doi, so that these contributions can be viewed as a publication and the author given credit. Justin added via the chat that he agreed with the comments from Delfi and Tracy, adding that he has had positive experiences with departments who are receptive to Digital Humanities projects. He also suggested referencing the MLA guidelines for evaluating these types of projects.

Eleonora Cappuccilli asked if a shift can be seen over the centuries or in relation to certain events (for example, the Reformation) in the evolution of recluses in Eleonora’s project. Eleonora answered that reclusion in Italy expanded especially during the 13th and 14th centuries, related to mendicant movements. In particular, it was related to the creation of the Franciscan third order. Recluses, compared to women tertiaries, were less under the influence of authorities like an abbess or bishop. Another important moment was the Black Death, because the type of evidence available changed after this event. Often recluses are found in bequests for the poor in this period, while fifteenth-century sources reveal information about changing ideas of spirituality for recluses and how their confinement informed their piety.

Next, Sarah Carruthers asked Tracy and Tanya about the jobs for women that were related to book making, whether there were separate workshops for bookmaking or if they were connected to households. Tracy answered that both instances occurred, and that there was overlap and collaboration between households and communities but also instances of individual production.

Melissa Moreton asked the final question, highlighting the potential of the Italian Recluse mapping project. She shared that this kind of tool is very useful for her research but noticed that it is not as accessible to a user who is not an expert. She wondered if there is an apparatus to identify the capabilities and uses of the database so that it can be used by more people. Delfi agreed and discussed the uncertainty of medieval sources, and how to translate that into projects that still allows them to be user-friendly. Data must be adjusted to reflect the realities of the sources and incorporate the knowledge of historians so that the information has more context that allows more users to understand it. Tracy added that uncertainty has been reflected in their map using color-coding to identify the level of certainty in a piece of information (a location, for example). She echoed that making sure the viewer knows that uncertainty exists is very important.

Tanya closed the discussion with thanks to the presenters. Isabelle Cochelin highlighted the collaborative work of these kinds of projects and how well it fits into the goals of The Other Sister research group.

The Other Sister Research Seminar Brides of Christ: Varieties of Women’s Religious Expression in Ireland

by Julia Cole

On Friday, October 18, 2024, The Other Sister Research Group had a thematic meeting on the topic of Irish women religious.

Our invited scholars and readings were:

  • Colmán Ó Clabaigh OSB, “Marginal Figures? Quasi-Religious Women in Medieval Ireland,” in Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland M. Browne, T. Collins, C. Ó Clabaigh, & B. A. McShane (Four Courts Press, 2023), pp. 118-135.
  • Bronagh Ann McShane, “Who Were the Nuns in Early Modern Ireland,” in Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland ed. M. Browne, T. Collins, C. Ó Clabaigh, & B. A. McShane (Four Courts Press, 2023), pp. 148-170.
  • Victoria Anne Pearson, “Deeds, Not Words: Reconciling Enclosure with a Missionary Ethos in Eighteenth Century Ireland”, in Bishop Francis Moylan, A Merchant Prince of the Catholic Church, 1735-1815, PhD thesis, Ulster University, 2024, chapter 4.
  • For background, we also circulated Tracy Collins and Bronagh McShane, “Introduction,” to Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland M. Browne, T. Collins, C. Ó Clabaigh, & B. A. McShane (Four Courts Press, 2023), pp. 1-6.

Alison More started the meeting by reminding attendees of the ongoing mission of The Other Sister, to uncover the stories of women religious. In this meeting, the group heard about and discussed Irish women religious, a group which has been largely ignored by the scholarship.

The first presentation was from Colmán Ó Clabaigh, who was one of the editors of the volume from which two of the papers presented came, Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland. Bronagh Anne McShane, one of the other presenters, and Tracy Collins, an attendee of the session, were also editors of the volume. The fourth editor of the volume was Martin Browne.

Colmán began by expressing his gratitude at seeing so many of the scholars whose work he had used to inform his own. First, he explained the volume and then presented the chapter he authored. The fifth Glenstal history conference was the starting point of the volume. The area that these conferences focus on is Irish material and history overall. Female monasticism was a long-hoped for topic for Colmán, and this was realized in 2021, supported by the work of Bronagh Ann McShane and Tracy Collins. The volume that arose from this conference was a long-awaited work on female monasticism in Ireland, a field that has been under-studied so far.

“Marginal figures? Quasi-religious women in medieval Ireland” was the title of Colmán’s chapter, a fitting topic for The Other Sister. The image gracing the cover of the book, a fifteenth-century depiction of the Virgin Mary sheltering a group of possibly Franciscan nuns under her mantle, shows (upon close examination) that diverse groups of women (and men) religious are represented. He began with a discussion of the difficulty of terminology, such as pallium, which is an early Latin borrow word in the Irish language, a word used for many meanings, from a widow leading a penitent life to a witch.

He then discussed four categories: vowesses, virgins and widows; anchoresses and recluses; tertiaries (mainly of the Franciscan tradition); and finally nursing sisters in Ireland. It is challenging to overstate the fragmentary nature of the sources in Ireland; there is no material comparable to that, for example, of female monasticism in England. Therefore, he explained, much of the scholarly process to bring the stories of these women to light is wondering if one has enough source material to do so.

The second presentation was by Bronagh Anne McShane (Trinity College, Dublin), president of the steering committee of the “History of Women Religious of Britain and Ireland”, whose research is involved in exploring the voices of early modern women religious in Ireland and Europe. Bronagh agreed with Colmán on the fragmentary nature of the sources for this topic, comparing her work to weaving a tapestry together to paint a picture of the women found in the sources.

She then discussed the idea of enclosure regarding early modern women religious in Ireland. She specifically highlighted how contested and varied this phenomenon was across the period and between different institutions, as well as how it operated, compared to how it was prescribed to operate. For most nuns in Ireland, it was impossible to observe strict enclosure, not for lack of zeal but due to the ongoing conflicts, upheavals, and wars in Ireland. Further, the imposition of penalties against the practice of Catholicism in Ireland meant that many nuns had to leave for the continent. Bronagh was struck by how mobile early modern nuns were, especially at a time when travel could be challenging. She spoke about a specific group of Irish Poor Clares, who, upon their return to Ireland in 1629 with the intent of establishing a foundation in Dublin, were expelled from the city, and later emerged in a rural area, which foundation did not last long. Bronagh also pointed out that the term enclosure is being thought about and contested by modern communities, especially in the context of the digital age which enables unprecedented access ‘to the world’.  Finally, Bronagh highlighted that the live and experiences of tertiary sisters remain a poorly understood dimension of Irish history. She highlighted how Colmán’s work has been essential to our understanding of the function and operation of tertiary communities medieval Ireland. But as yet we know very little about third order sisters in the modern era. She concluded by raising a call to arms to find out more about third order secular, and religious female foundations in Ireland and the wider European context.

Next Victoria Pearson, financial officer of the “History of Women Religious of Britain and Ireland” group, PhD Researcher at Ulster University, and scholar of the life and work of Dr. Francis Moylan, Bishop of Kerry, spoke. She explained her work as the study of a bishop and by extension the examination of institutional impacts on women religious. She is interested in how Tridentine Catholicism was applied to the Irish context and how it emerged in Ireland in the late eighteenth century to revitalize Catholic life. She again echoed the challenges of the fragmentary sources which survived into the period of increased Catholic acceptance in the eighteenth century. This context of reform is vital to her exploration of the relationship between Francis Moylan and ‘Nano’ Nagle, which includes the idea that there was a change in both the leadership of the Irish Catholic Church and stewardship of the Catholic Nation. Their relationship is especially interesting considering that Nagle was from an old Irish Gaelic aristocratic family and Francis represented a new group. This new group was Catholics who had eked out an existence for themselves under the restrictive laws, by pursuing businesses and using their capital to grow their communities. This shift highlights the emerging middle class. There was a change in ownership, values, and ideas about respectability. Nagle never believed that enclosure would work in Ireland, and she had always envisioned that enclosure would not be part of her community. Moylan came around to her way of thinking when he returned home to Ireland, seeing the schools in Cork that Nagle had formed, and attempted to get her community under the protection of the Catholic Church. Nagle herself did not take vows until she was in her fifties, likely because of her desire to work in the community. Moylan knew of communities in France who did this and tried to find a way to apply this knowledge in the Irish context. This creates an intriguing story, in which the bishop argued with his superiors and authorities in Rome that Nagle’s community should not be enclosed. This issue dragged on for the congregation, but after Nagle’s death, the community decided they were willing to accept enclosure in the early 1800s. By this point, many changes had occurred in Ireland, both culturally, politically, and in terms of the workings of the congregation.

Next, the group turned to the discussion period. Michael Hahn led the discussion, beginning with a question posed by Eleonora Cappuccilli. She asked Bronagh about her definition concerning transnational religious experiences, considering the mission of the “counter-reformation” to recover territories lost to the faith, and the work of missionaries. She wondered about how scholars are defining the transnational experiences of women, and if shared models can be applied in these cases. She asked: how can the nation be defined not in ethnic terms, but in religious terms? She also discussed Teresa of Avila and her influence in this period, wondering if there is evidence of her influence in Ireland. Bronagh began her response by connecting both transnational and local sites and emphasizing the importance of understanding these in conjunction. She highlighted the Tridentine context on one hand, and the local Irish context on the other. In her work, there is a complex context in Ireland in which Catholicism is suppressed by the state, but “counter-reformation” ideas are being explored. Exile as an aspect of religious identity for Irish women religious is also important to consider, as being exiled from Ireland and going to religious houses on the continent informed women’s experiences. This brings up interesting tensions between women of different nationalities within these houses on the continent. She also discussed the ethnic vs. religious question, giving the example in Ireland in this period that saw the coming together of ethnic groups such as Gaelic and Old English groups. Finally, she agreed that Teresa of Avila had significant influences on Irish nuns and concepts of ecstasy, on which some work has been done in Ireland. Victoria Pearson also elaborated that Nagle was known to engage in long hours kneeling in prayer, and aspects of bodily mortification, and taking up the cloak of a beggar to collect money for her community, even before she took any vows.

Next, Isabelle Cochelin asked about an example of a pregnant tertiary, and Colmán’s discussion of tertiaries who were married. She wondered how common this was in Ireland? She also asked about the proportion of male to female religious communities. Colman answered that these women were secular tertiaries, and marriage and child-rearing was allowed under the secular tertiary rule. They were further not expected to follow the same fasting regulations as the others. Bronagh elaborated further by highlighting the need to clarify the third order and regular vs. secular tertiaries in the scholarship. She explained that male communities survived both exile and ongoing conflict in higher numbers than female houses, not to mention the head start those men had due to the establishment of seminary training houses. Victoria Pearson also highlighted the fact that scholars are only starting to understand how much was lost from female houses when the exile happened. She also stated that considerations which acknowledge tertiary lifestyles are allowing scholars to reconsider how secular women led lives of community service which can be seen as forms of religious life. Exile and return were part of the tradition of St Patrick and the great saints, and this means Nagle was following this same tradition.

Next, Devon Sherwood asked a general question about the fragmentary nature of the sources in both the medieval and early modern period, and if there is any difference in the nature of the sources in these times. She wondered what types of sources are still available. She also asked about religious self-identity of women religious and the phases of religious life these women may pass through; further, how the acceptance of enclosure could change the self-perception of these women. Victoria Pearson answered that Nagle’s successor, Sister Angela Collins, was in a liminal space for much of her life, living as a religious woman in a community. However, she did not take solemn vows nor was she officially recognized by the community until later in life. The sources, she states, are fragmentary, but sometimes sources remain unknown and therefore research is needed. This is especially true of the sources which are stored in other places, or sources which were brought back and forth to the continent, which may not be known yet. Colmán discussed the medieval sources, sharing that it is sometimes necessary to interrogate what sources are available and in what new ways known sources can be used to highlight female monasticism and religious activity. He also says that many have not interrogated the vernacular sources, which are vital to understanding and exploring the topic.  Finally, on identity, he said that there is evidence of groups redefining themselves between their exile and subsequent movement, especially many communities oscillated between Augustinian, Cistercian, and Benedictine identities.

In the meantime, Sioban Nelson asked how much influence there was from the Vincentian movement, in which humble women cared for the sick and the poor. Bronagh answered that the Vincentians did not come to Ireland, but that there were examples of women living out a form of religious expression that was not defined by claustration, between the closure of the monasteries and the official dissolution of religious life. At the end to these restrictions, there were groups which emerged to provide community services and observed some form of religious community life but were not restricted in the sense of enclosure. This, of course, upset many Jesuits, who had worries about the close working relationship between these women and the missionaries charged with their care. Especially the Tridentine clergy posed questions about these groups.

Margot Fassler recommended some sources on liturgical life. She highlighted the need to give the sources which do exist more attention, and especially to organize and present them clearly. Bronagh agreed, sharing works which catalogue the collections and will be instrumental in future research. Colman added an exciting upcoming edition of the anchoritic Rule of Godwin of Salisbury which will be released soon and will add to the corpus of available works. We will update this post with a reference to this new edition as soon as possible.

Alison More wrapped up the meeting with thanks to the speakers and those who attended, noting the fruitful session even amidst internet service interruptions due to inclement weather in Ireland.

The Other Sister Research Seminar: Book “Medieval Religious Women”

by Julia Cole and Devon Sherwood

On Friday, December 15th, The Other Sister met for a discussion of Medieval Religious Women, c. 800-1500, ed. Kimm Curran and Janet Burton (Boydell, 2023). Kimm Curran, Janet Burton, Cate Gunn, and Alison More joined us to discuss their contributions (listed below) to this exciting new publication. The thematic session was organized by Delfi Nieto-Isabel and Mary Doyno.

  • Kimm Curran and Janet Burton, “Introduction,” p. 1-21.
  • Alison More, “Change and Renewal: Mendicants and Tertiaries in Later Medieval Europe,” p. 61-75.
  • Cate Gunn, “On the Fringes: Anchorites,” p. 76-89.

Janet Burton, Professor of Medieval History at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, and co-editor of the volume, was the first speaker. She recalled how she and Kimm Curran commissioned essays for the volume after the initial rejection of their proposed volume topic. This disappointment galvanized them and allowed them to rethink traditional narratives as they pertain to medieval religious women. The texts themselves includes an extensive temporal range, beginning with the councils of Aachen (816-17), and ending c. 1500. Burton points out, however, that movements differed regionally and that the same thematic approaches cannot be applied to all geographic regions in the same way.

Next, Kimm Curran, an independent researcher based in Scotland, and co-editor of the volume, echoed Burton in sharing their desire to produce a book that would break down barriers between those in formal institutional communities and those who existed outside of them but who still lived a religious lifestyle. She noted commonalities between the two groups in addition to acknowledging women’s search for identity within the environments of new orders and transition between groups, illustrating the issues inherent in anachronistic categorization. Decisions about the choice of words were at the forefront of their minds as they worked on the volume, with a preference for ‘women religious’ or ‘sister’ over ‘nun’. Similarly, Curran emphasized their avoidance of the term ‘nunnery’. Alongside their contributors, they navigated the challenging issue of language and adjusted to more inclusive terminology. In its final form, the multi-disciplinary book represents topics such as women’s agency, authority, identities, literacies, and materialities, and reflects the diversity of its multi-disciplinary contributors.

Alison More, Associate Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of St Michael’s College, University of Toronto, added to the discussion on terminology. She pointed out that terms themselves do not mean anything other than what you choose them to mean. Her chapter discusses the emergence of a spiritual revolution, which people sought out and participated in with fervor. She highlighted the diversity of religious women, even within the category of ‘tertiary’, a label that she suggested warrants further investigation. Finally, Professor More spoke about the fact that many of the women in her study do not fit neatly into institutional parameters; rather, they sought out ‘do-it-yourself religion’.

Next, Cate Gunn, an independent researcher with a focus on medieval English literature, religious literature, and medieval devotional culture, spoke. She explained that the question, ‘how do we talk about female anchorites?’ guided her study. She sought to question their marginality and explore where and how they lived. During her talk, she, too, returned to the issue of medieval categorization and specific identity. She paints the anchorites that she studies as spiritually, textually, and physically impactful to their landscapes, even given the extreme form of religious life carried out in such as small cell. Serving this role, anchorites were necessary to their communities since they served as proxies for spiritual matters and carried out meaningful functions through prayer while also generally reflecting the values of medieval society by means of anchoritic life.

The Q&A period touched upon a number of themes including further inquiry into the classification, organization, and self-identification of specific groups, the problematization of terminology as related to translation in different languages, evidence of cultural exchange and similarities between disparate groups, and transitions between groups over time. Furthermore, speakers and participants discussed relationships within and between groups, leading to a broader discussion about the social practices of anchorites and different experiences of liminality and marginality. In addition, the speakers answered several questions specific to their contributions, providing essential context for ongoing discussions about the experiences of women religious in a variety of geographical regions.

Mary Doyno posed the first question to Alison More, asking if she felt that there is use in employing terminology used by the historical women that she studies. More expressed similar sentiment as to wanting to use these terms, but explained the jigsaw-like puzzle of sources that her work has drawn from can make it difficult. Rather, she explained, women seemed to focus more on what needed to be done than issues of self-identification and classification. Cate Gunn also responded, pointing out that some women felt anxiety associated with the uncertain status of not being under a rule, and therefore adopted a rule to quash this anxiety.

Remaining on the topic of terminology, Renate Blumfield-Kosinski then brought up the challenge posed by different languages both in sources and in modern scholarship. She pointed out that as much scholarship has been focused on Italy and England, many of these terms are familiar, but that a multitude of terms exist in other languages. This poses the question; do we define every term when we use it? Agreeing, Cate Gunn echoed that definitions can be very different, even between scholars working in the same field.

Devon Sherwood wonderedunder if there is evidence of women shifting between different groups over time. This question brought to mind a common misconception for Cate Gunn, who shared that many think that anchorites ended up transitioning to communal living, but that this is not true. Rather, anchorites connected through their beliefs and lifestyles but did not live communally. Instead, they would transition from communities to the more isolated lifestyle that an anchorhold provided.

Kimm Curran returned to the anxiety over terminology that she had as an editor: she felt trapped by publishing norms that focused on certain categories of religious women and sought a broader and more inclusive category for women religious. For Curran, this issue was embodied in the complex identity of Saint Hedwig, who graces the cover of the volume. Curran also discussed the issue of male authors writing about these women, making it difficult at times to find the voices of the women directly. Alison More brought up transitions of religious life, whether reforming or moving to a stricter form of life. The associations of women religious with a specific order poses challenges for perceived identity, which could either change or simply appear to have changed from the sources based on who was providing pastoral care. Within this topic, she concluded, there is much to explore.

Lucy Barnhouse returned to Alison More’s chapter, wondering how women were in part defined by their relationships (with other women, bishops, confessors). Janet Burton agreed as to the centrality of women’s relationships, highlighting the importance of locating women within their wider communities. This included their relationships with their orders, the secular community, patrons, and others. Delfi Nieto-Isabel pointed out that often the locality of the women studied lies in different terminologies, an issue of the modern day, not the sources. Turning back to Cate Gunn’s chapter, she then asked about the difference between liminality and marginality, claiming that what was liminal in the period under study has only been made marginal through modern study. Though Gunn pointed out that the anchorites in her chapter did not use either term, their position on the threshold between life and death posed a serious challenge, but the value in their role made it easier. Alison More agreed, stating that women did not choose to be liminal, but rather filled the positions that they saw as necessary, waiting for their institutions to catch up with them. Janet Burton added that being liminal did not mean one was unimportant. Bruce Venarde agreed that liminal, marginal, and identity are our modern words and shared Rogers Brubaker and Frederick Cooper’s 2000 article, “Beyond ‘Identity’”.

Sister Carla Thomas sought clarification from Cate Gunn on her mention of vows, wishing to know who received the vows of the women in her study. For lay anchorites, Gunn answered, they made vows to a bishop and were usually linked to a specific church not living under a rule. There was, however, an earlier practice of women transitioning from a monastic community to an anchorhold. Making an oath to a bishop was part of an attempt to control this practice (of lay women becoming anchorites) but was also practical as it allowed the church to check that the women had the financial means to support themselves and were connected toa church that could administer the sacraments. Kimm Curran agreed, giving a Scottish example of a nun moving from an enclosed community to an anchorhold.

Next, Letha Böhringer connected the ongoing discussion of terminology to the context of practices and social spaces. She asked Cate Gunn about her experience regarding the social practices of anchorites as opposed to those of other women. Gunn answered that the main difference was that anchorites lived in isolation, enclosed on their own, even when connected to others via letters. Isabelle Cochelin commented that recluses in England were perhaps more solitary, but those on the continent were very social and played a vital role in society. Some women even applied for the job of recluse through their local government. Gunn agreed that though a recluse’s life was solitary, they played an important role in their communities.

Barbara R. Walters Doehrman brought up the impacts of geographical and economic milieu on the practices of anchoresses, even though daily practices could be quite similar place to place. Cate Gunn responded that work in this area is beginning to be done, highlighting the similar nature of the spirituality of women in different regions.

Minlib Dahl posed the final question, asking Alison More to explain Raymond of Capua’s influence on and relationship with Catherine of Siena. More explained that he wrote in a way that sought to highlight the links she had with the Dominican Order as a tertiary.

Concluding a fruitful and lively discussion, the chat continued with encouraging and complimentary messages for the speakers from participants until the very end of the meeting. The important themes of terminology (both that in sources and modern scholarship), identities of religious women, and the ties that they had with each other and their wider community drove the conversation. Thank you to all contributors and those who posed thoughtful questions and comments.