Special Thematic Strand: Reform & Renewal
Session proposal:My Sister for Abbess!Late Medieval Monastic Reform – between Worldly Objectives and Spiritual Renewal
In fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Europe, innumerable monastic houses undertook their reform aiming to repair the economic, disciplinary, and religious problems that had accumulated over the centuries. Since the onset of the reform movement, authorities « abbots/abbesses, local lords, as well as bishops » were deeply involved in the reform process of a given house, while often pursuing different interests. This panel will explore the intersections of religious renewal and politico-economic interests that went hand in hand in the late medieval monastic reform movement.
Possible paper topics include, but are not limited to:
Case studies of monasteries / convents
Relationship networks of people involved in a given reform
Narratives of reform and their context
Ways of implementing reformed life
Opposition to reform
If you are interested in participating, please submit a proposal by 1 July 2014 to
or (as of 08/01/2014)
including:
? Paper title
? Abstract or description for presentation (up to 300 words)
? Valid e-mail address
? biographical paragraph (up to 200 words), incl. university affiliation, city, state, and country
? Audiovisual needs, if any