...an early (and very influential) contribution to a new field of scholarship about the Christian tradition....Elizabeth Petroff has done more to make the remarkable spiritual writings of medieval women accessible to modern English-speaking readers than any other scholar. Her 1986 book, Medieval Women's Visionary Literature...has become a classic of classroom use in courses about both the Middle Ages and women and religion....Petroff's prefatory material has guided the introduction of many students to the spiritual traditions of women in the Middle Ages.--E. Ann Matter (University of Pennsylvania) in Christian Spirituality Bulletin The breadth of this volume makes it uniquely valuable as a means for including the voices of women in the subject matter of a survey course in the history of christianity.--John Coakley, New Brunswick Theological Seminary Provides access to many texts of women previously neglected and offers an outstanding synthesis of themes in this literature.--Ellen Murray, St. Louis University An immensely useful volume filling many of the gaps still found in texts of medieval women writers. A judicious and sensative selection.--Nancy P. Stork, Stanford University The reader receives a vivid sense of the historical circumstances in which medieval women lived and wrote. Very useful introductions prepare one not only for the entire book, but for each of the nine sections, and an excellent and extensive bibliography is appended....An outstanding text for a course in medieval literature or history of religion; it should certainly have a place of honor on the shelves of Women's Studies classes.--Vox Benedictina A good example of the role that translation can play in broadening our view of the Christian past....A judicious and wide-ranging survey.--Commonweal The introduction and commentary by the editor discuss the different issues brought up by these varied selections and help the modern reader to understand them more easily.--Manuscripta A marvelous, original, and much needed collection of texts.--Virginia Reinburg, Boston College Excellent collection of materials not easily available. Students appreciate the primary sources!--Joan H. Timmerman, College of St. Catherine Will be welcomed by church historians, feminists, and teachers of spirituality. By rendering accessible to English-speaking readers the variety and continuity of women's religious expression, it establishes women as co-creators of the Western Christian tradition.--Choice The new translations into highly readable modern English and the assembling of other not easily accessible pieces are genuine scholarly contributions.--Speculum The women of Medieval Women's Visionary Literature speak across the centuries to contemporary concerns, both men's and women's, spiritual and psychological [and] tell us much about the human condition and creative potential.--Commonweal The works included are remarkable in their range and devotion. Equally remarkable is the quality of the translations.--Virginia Quarterly Review
