Preaching Under the Radar
Date: Public Lecture: Friday, February 21 at 7pm | Workshop: Saturday, February 22 from 10am–2pm (lunch included)
Venue: Lecture: Online & In-Person at the Epiphany Chapel | Workshop: In-Person only at the Epiphany Chapel
Preaching Under the Radar: The Creative World of Female Preaching in Late Medieval Europe
Public Lecture — Friday, February 21 at 7pm
Workshop — Saturday, February 22 from 10am–2pm (lunch included)
Step into the captivating, often overlooked world of medieval women preachers with international scholar Dr. Carolyn Muessig! This free public lecture offers a chance to discover how remarkable women defied conventions to engage with scripture in bold, creative, and norm-challenging ways.
Despite pervasive cultural perceptions of women’s voices as charming yet deceptive, figures like Elizabeth of Spalbeek, Chiara of Rimini, and Stefana Quinzani gave witness to God’s goodness through powerful sermons and fresh interpretations of scripture. Examining sermons from between the 12th to 16th centuries, Dr. Muessig reveals how these visionary women presented alternative models of spiritual teaching, blending artistry, pastoral care, and profound theological insight.
This lecture is a must-attended for preachers, historians, medievalists, and anyone inspired by stories of resilience and subversive faith!
Dr. Carolyn Muessig taught for 25 years in the Department of Religion and Theology, University of Bristol, UK where she was Head of Department from 2007–2010 and then again from 2016-2019. Dr. Muessig served as Director of the University of Bristol’s Institute for Research in the Humanities and Arts (2011-2014) and as co-director of the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Bristol (2013-2018). For seventeen years she was the co-editor [with Veronica O’Mara] of the journal Medieval Sermon Studies. Since 2001 she has been series co-editor [with George Ferzoco] of Medieval Religion and Culture, Routledge. From 2011–2017 she was the Medieval and Reformation (700-1600) Section Editor for the Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception, De Gruyter, Berlin, Germany. In 2018 she was co–curator of the first public exhibition to be held in Downside Abbey church, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, UK: Voices from the Cloister: Medieval Treasures at Downside Abbey. Since July 2020 Dr. Muessig has held the Chair of Christian Thought in the Department of Classics and Religion at the University of Calgary. In 2024, she was elected Vice President of the International Medieval Sermon Studies Society, and she is presently working on the history of premodern female preaching. Her research areas include medieval religious culture, female spirituality, preaching and sermon history, miracles, and heresy and reform in medieval Europe.
Friday, February 21 at 7pm
Public Lecture: Preaching Under the Radar: The Creative World of Female Preaching in Late Medieval Europe (In-Person & Online)
Abstract:
The perception of female voices as charming yet deceptive instruments that led men into sin is a recurring theme in medieval warnings against the dangers of women teaching. Such criticism easily extended to discussions about women as preachers. Biblical verses like 1 Timothy 2:12 — “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to use authority over the man; but to be in silence” — were frequently invoked to assert that women were not permitted to preach.
Yet, despite widespread negative discourses on women’s alleged pedagogical and pastoral inadequacies, some women did preach in the medieval world. Figures like Elizabeth of Spalbeek (d. c. 1304), Chiara of Rimini (d. 1324), and Stefana Quinzani (d. 1530) delivered embodied sermons on the passion narrative through mimetic portrayals of Christ. Meanwhile, other women left more distinct pastoral traces through the sermons they wrote, some of which still survive. These women engaged with scripture creatively, personally, and pastorally. Their sermons offer surprising interpretations that challenge well-established exegetical traditions. Some female preachers were also renowned mystics and prophetesses. In this context, their theological imaginations shaped their sermons, leading to vivid biblical interpretations and striking imagery.
This talk explores the evidence of medieval women’s speech in sermons and preaching acts. It focuses primarily on sermons composed by women between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. In doing so, the discussion aims to demonstrate how women carved out alternative models of pedagogy, allowing them to articulate their teachings and portray biblical narratives in creative and unexpected ways.
Saturday, February 22, 10am–2pm
Public Workshop: Revealing Voices: Filling the Gap in Homiletics and the History of Female Pedagogy (In-Person only)
Abstract:
Premodern examples of female preaching and religious pedagogy are often overlooked in most analyses of homiletics. We will explore how medieval women embodied the art of preaching and teaching in their sermons and mystical treatises. In doing so, we will examine how these women understood their authority as teachers and preachers. Our investigation will also consider how these women’s pastoral and mystical narratives nurtured and sustained their communities. Ultimately, our workshop will focus on what contributions medieval female mystics and preachers can offer to pastoral care in the twenty-first century.
Building on the themes raised in Friday’s lecture, we will explore medieval sermons and mystical treatises written by women, reflecting on the unique contributions of their work. We will also discuss how the diversity of women’s voices from the past may offer new ways of thinking about Christian discourse in the present.