Date of Award
Spring 5-24-2024
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Art and Art History
Department Chair or Program Director
Mentore, Laura
First Advisor
DeLancey, Julia
Major or Concentration
Art History
Abstract
In the medieval period, both professed women and laywomen were deeply involved in manuscript production, and the use of books was often a vital part of their religious practices. In order to fully understand the value that manuscripts held for medieval women it is important to understand the medical and philosophical understandings of sex that permeated medieval society in order to better understand gendered experiences within Christian spaces. Additionally, examining how vision was understood as both a physical and spiritual process allows for a deeper understanding of how visual art is used in religious contexts. In the medieval period, understandings of sex, philosophy, and religion were all inextricably intertwined, making an interdisciplinary approach ideal. This paper will explore the overlap of gender and visual experience and apply them to two manuscripts produced and used by women in Medingen Abbey, a Cistercian convent located near the town of Lüneburg.
Recommended Citation
Knell, Elliot, "Medieval German Christian Women’s Religious Experience" (2024). Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects. 630.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/630
Rights
Included in
Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons, European History Commons, History of Gender Commons, History of Religion Commons, Medieval History Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Women's History Commons, Women's Studies Commons