Date of Completion
2022
Thesis Type
College of Arts and Science Honors
Department
Religion
First Advisor
Jen Sisk
Second Advisor
Anne Clark
Third Advisor
Kevin Trainor
Keywords
medieval christianity, medieval women, women's religious identity, conduct, conduct literature
Abstract
In the late medieval era, conduct literature emerged to guide young men and women into a successful life of fulfilling various duties and expectations. My research examines how this literature shaped a common religious and social identity for aristocratic and bourgeois European women. By focusing on conduct literature directed towards women, I analyze how the female identity created in these texts was influenced by Christian beliefs, which highlights the relationship between religion and society. I conclude by comparing this work to the life of Margery Kempe through The Book of Margery Kempe, which outlines aspects of her social and religious life.
Recommended Citation
Kiely, Hannah Elise P., "Creating the Medieval Christian Woman: Conduct Literature and Religious Identity" (2022). UVM College of Arts and Sciences College Honors Theses. 111.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/castheses/111