Introduction: Christianity in the Middle Ages went through different phases both in the spiritual, political and developmental spheres. The Church was responsible for lifting the people from the cruelty of Roman paganism and the barbarism of wild tribes. This was possible due to missionary expansion despite many limitations. There was some development of the women's religious period.
1.0
Status of Women: The images of women that appear in medieval literature were
largely shaped by the monks, bishops and nobles who made up the small
percentage of the population that was literate. Women were praised, idealized
and adored in the symbol of the Virgin Mary and as court ladies in popular
tales of chivalry. Thomas Aquinas[1] claimed that woman was created as
subordinate and subservient to man. Not only was she second in the order of
creation, but she was gifted with less intellectual ability and consequently
less ability to make correct moral decisions.
The
Wicked Wives books detailed all the women in the Bible and in history who led
men astray. The widespread vices of women, as well as the need to keep women
under control in church and society, were constantly emphasized.
Several
positive attitudes toward women found their way into medieval theology. Aquinas
and others emphasized that woman, though inferior, was given the important task
of procreation by God. Some theologians have also insisted that men and women have
rational souls and that in the future kingdom of God man and woman will be
equal.[2]
It
is reasonable to expect similar trends in the religious environment, where
women were absent in some areas but actively involved in others. For example,
monasticism prevailed among women. A woman could easily choose to become a nun
and live in a convent. They could even rise in rank and one day command a
monastery. Thus, being the head of a nunnery allowed women to exercise power
over others. This power was especially attractive to women of high noble
origins who could not achieve a position of authority in any other way.
However,
women could never enter the realms of the priesthood. In other words, they were
not allowed to take the position of "secular clergy" because they
were non-ordained members of the Church who did not live in a religious
institute and did not follow specific religious rules.[3]
2.0
The development of women's religious orders: It was the
institution of monasticism that offered real opportunities for professional
service to women in the Middle Ages. Monasticism was an important outlet for
women who wanted to devote their lives to full-time spiritual pursuits,
especially after the fifth century, when communal monasticism began to
flourish. Monasticism for women began in the west in 512 AD when Bishop
Caesarius of Aries founded a monastery ruled by his sister Caesaria. The
purpose of this monastery appears to have been primarily aimed at personal
spirituality, as the women were admonished by Caesaria to dwell in their cells
and seek in earnest prayer the presence of the Son of God, that they might be
of the number of holy virgins consecrated by God.
Whether
there really was complete equality between the sexes in monasticism is up for
debate, but certainly monasticism offered women a prominent place not found
elsewhere in the church.
Medieval
women were kept out of universities; for they could not become scholastic
theologians. But many have achieved distinction by becoming powerful writers on
spirituality and mysticism and providing spiritual guidance and advice to
others. They were women of great independence and power, not so much outwardly,
but in terms of moral authority and spiritual perfection. These women were
strong enough to resist pressure from family, society, and sometimes the
church, out of a deep commitment to a higher calling.[5]
3.0
Some of the female religious figures in the Middle Ages:
3.1
Saint Leoba (700-779): Born in Wessex, England, Leoba was
sent as a child to Wimbome to study the sacred science under Mother Tetta. Leova
was a diligent student who became known for both his intelligence and his
sanctity. He was the royal teacher of religion and a deeply respected figure
during his lifetime. Leova was appointed abbot of Bischofsheim, from where he
helped found a new monastery. As a monk, he found his life rich and varied.
According to Edith Dean, his position was not only a ruler, but also a teacher
and translator; He said he had discussed the problem with him. His success as a
missionary monk was thought to be a direct result of his holiness and evidence
of his ability to make direct contact with God in prayer. It was a powerful,
public, practical, even administrative sanctity, a power and sanctity sought in
women as much as in men.[6]
3.2
Catherine of Siena (1347-1380): Catherine was a
Dominican Tertiary, originally named Caterina Benincasa, born in Siena, Italy
on March 25, 1347. She took a vow of virginity at the age of seven and faced a
powerful family. resistance. At the age of 16, she joined the Third Order of
Saint Dominic in Siena. It gained more and more influence in the church,
dealing with such issues as the Crusades, the Civil War, the Avignon papacy,
and church reforms. She began sending letters to men and women in every walk of
life, entering into correspondence with princes and the Italian Republic. She
chose to heal the wounds of her native land by serving during the fury of civil
war and factional rampage. In 1376 she persuaded the Pope to return to Rome and
end the Avignon papal exile. Catherine expressed her view that it is the
disposition of the will toward God, not status or religious office, that
ensures holiness.
In
the last five years of her life, she was involved in state and church politics.
According to David Hugh Farmer, the importance of her interventions was
sometimes exaggerated. On April 21, 1380, he suffered a stroke and died eight
days later. In 1461 she was canonized by Pope Pius II and in 1970 she became a
teacher of the church.[7]
3.3
Saint Joan of Arc (1412-1431): Joan of Arc, in French
Jeanne d'Arc also called the Virgin of Orleans, was a national heroine and
patron saint of France. She was instrumental in uniting the nation at a
critical time and decisively turned the Hundred Years' War in France's favor. After
the death of Charles VI of France, British forces led by the Duke of Bedford
successfully campaigned and captured many fortified cities.
For
a long time it looked like the English would win. But in the 1420s, the tide
began to turn with the arrival of a peasant girl named Joan of Arc in 1429,
when French peasants banded together to fight the English and were defeated. At
the age of 13, she heard the voices of the early martyrs and they told her to
save France early in 1429, during the Hundred Years' War. In 1430, Joan
conducted a military operation against the English at Compiegne, near Paris.
She was
Captured
by Bourguignon soldiers and sold to their English allies. She was burned in the
marketplace of Rouen. She died with courage, looking at the cross and calling
on the name of Jesus. She is not venerated as a martyr, but as a virgin who
responded with complete honesty and courage to what she believed to be the revelation
of God's will for her, enduring persecution and death with heroic fortitude.[8]
3.4
Papess Johanna:
The
influence of medieval church women was most visible in monasteries, where they
rose to the position of abbess and often wielded considerable political and
spiritual power. One of the most fascinating stories in medieval history is the
story of Pepys and Anna. Because of her gender, she was forced to disguise
herself as a student in Athens and later while teaching theology in Rome. She
took the name Johannes Anglicus and when she was elevated to the papal dignity
she took the name John VIII. However, her papal reign ended suddenly and
tragically. Her life was ended suddenly in the open street during a solemn
procession from the Vatican to the Lateran. Women had a place in the church,
but that place was clearly defined as one that did not carry with it any
official authority.[9]
4.0
Impact on the status of women:
4.1
The growing role of women: Despite the demeaning statements
of medieval theologians about women, accusations of witchcraft and the
impossible ideal of the Virgin Mary, medieval women were not forced into the
position of second-class citizens. According to Latourette[10], one of the
features of the century and a half between 1350-1500 AD was the increasing
importance of women in the Christian story. Throughout the previous centuries,
women had an important role.
4.2
Education and the Arts: Monasteries and converts became
centers of great learning. The monasteries also produced many outstanding
leaders and saints, examples being Margery Kemp and Catherine of Siena and many
others. These women, especially Catherine of Siena, played a big role in the
Middle Ages. She became a role model for generations of Christian
women.[11]
4.3
Women in monasteries: Women played a vital role in monasteries. Convents during
the Middle Ages offered women many opportunities including the privilege of
studying and writing. In addition, women in nunneries were free to govern
themselves with a minimal number of men. Monasticism thus offered women real
opportunities for professional service during the Middle Ages.[12]
Conclusion:
Medieval
women were different from women of the first centuries. This was because
monasticism offered them a place of prominence not found elsewhere in early
Christian history. Although women were lost in the medieval church, they
enjoyed full freedom and equality in monasteries and mysticism. Therefore, it
is undeniable that the medieval female religious order had a greater influence
on the women of that time.
During
the medieval period of Europe, when women are considered the subject of men in
every arena, be it political, social or religious. Although the Middle Ages are
known as the Dark Ages, many women played an important role, especially in
religious developments. The monastery gave them a platform to show their
abilities that they can do a lot for the society if given the opportunity.
Despite many social obstacles, middle-aged women paved the way for modern-day
women with their own abilities.
Bibliograhphy
:
Imchen, Narola. Women
in The History of Christianity. Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private
Limited, 2010.
https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/the-status-of-women-in-medieval-europe/,
accessed on 14-08-2021.
[1]
Thomas of Aquino(1225-1274 A.D) was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher,
Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church.
[2]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 75-76.
[3] https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/the-status-of-women-in-medieval-europe/,
accessed on 14-08-2021.
[4]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 76.
[5]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 78.
[6]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 78-80.
[7]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 80-83.
[8]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 83-85.
[9]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of Christianity(Jorhat
: Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 86-87.
[10]
Full name Kenneth Scott Latourette(August 6, 1884 – December 26, 1968), he was
an American historian of China, Japan and world christianity.
[11]
Narola Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 91.
[12] Narola
Imchen, Women in The History of
Christianity(Jorhat : Barkataki And Company Private Limited, 2010), 91-92.
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