| Unit name | Speaking with Authority: Women and Power in the Middle Ages (Level I Special Field) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST26024 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Holdenried |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Unusually for medieval women, Hildegard of Bingen (d.1179), Bridget of Sweden (d.1373) and Catherine of Siena (d.1380) were among the most influential public voices of their day. Joan of Arc (d.1430) led the French army to victory. Claiming to be divinely inspired, these women freely castigated kings and bishops, emperors and popes, exhorting them to reform and spurring them on to political action. As numerous surviving letters attest, their advice was frequently sought and heeded by Europes most senior secular and religious leaders. Yet, female claims to divinely inspired leadership provoked much anxiety and attempts by the Church hierarchy to curtail the public voices of women. Making full use of the womens own writings, as well as of different materials produced by male clerics we will ask why men distrusted female claims to divine authority (especially after 1200) and explore the public voices of women.
1 x 2 hour exam
