JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Bishop, 'Magic' and Women: Episcopal Visitation of the Diocese, Laywomen and the Supernatural, and Clerical Authority in the Central Middle Ages.

  • Published In: Gender & History, 2025, v. 37, n. 1. P. 5 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Austin, Greta 3 of 3

Abstract

Texts that prohibit laywomen from accessing the supernatural appear in the Libri duo of Regino of Prüm (c.906 CE) and the Decretum of Burchard of Worms (c.1020 CE). Regino and Burchard designed their handbooks for bishops to use as they visited their diocese. The handbooks forbade laywomen from accessing the supernatural through informal practices, which the texts contrasted to the male clergy's ritual access to supernatural authority. This article highlights that Regino's and Burchard's texts created a gendered hierarchy, one which associated women with illicit access to the supernatural and emphasised male clerical authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Gender & History. 2025/03, Vol. 37, Issue 1, p5
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Religion and Philosophy
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0953-5233
  • DOI:10.1111/1468-0424.12732
  • Accession Number:183950542
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Gender & History is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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