Benedictine Monasticism
Research Interests:
"Naughty Nuns and Promiscuous Monks: Monastic Sexual Misconduct in Late Medieval England Christian D. Knudsen Doctor of Philosophy Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto 2012 This dissertation examines sexual... more
"Naughty Nuns and Promiscuous Monks: Monastic Sexual Misconduct in Late Medieval England
Christian D. Knudsen
Doctor of Philosophy
Centre for Medieval Studies
University of Toronto
2012
This dissertation examines sexual misconduct in monasteries in the dioceses of Lincoln and Norwich between 1430 and 1530. Traditionally, any study of English monasticism during the late Middle Ages entailed the chronicling of a slow decline and decay. Indeed, for nearly 500 years, scholarship surrounding Henry VIII’s Dissolution of Monasteries (1536-40) emphasized its inevitability and presented late medieval monasticism as a lacklustre institution characterized by worsening standards, especially sexual promiscuity. Consequently, since the Dissolution, English monks and nuns have been constructed into naughty characters and according to this narrative, essentially, got what they deserved.
Despite this widespread assumption that sexual misconduct was endemic to late medieval English monasteries, there has been no serious attempt to test this hypothesis. Did late medieval English monks and nuns deserve their naughty reputation? This dissertation, centred on the sources that led to this claim, episcopal visitation records, will demonstrate that it is an exaggeration made possible by the nature of the sources, and a disregard for contextualisation and comparison between nuns and monks.
Chapter one discusses the development of the monastic ‘decline narrative’ and how lasciviousness came to be strongly associated with it. Chapter two presents the historical background and my methodology. Chapter three surveys the characteristics of monastic sexual misconduct such incidence rates, sexual partners and pregnancies. Chapter four examines the response of Church authorities to sexual scandals. Finally, Chapter five investigates the connection between the Dissolution and sexual misconduct, and in particular, the sodomy accusations made by Henry VIII’s agents.
The overarching conclusion is that sexual misconduct in English monasteries occurred at very low rates. Although sexual misconduct was considered a sin by Church authorities, in general, bishops de-emphasized it compared to other disciplinary issues such as financial mismanagement. In contrast, Henry VIII’s agents strove to amass evidence of widespread monastic sexual misconduct, and even re-classified masturbation under the more serious crime of sodomy to bolster the number of accused monastic ‘sodomites’. Consequently, their salacious reports played a key role in justifying the Dissolution and constructing the image of naughty nuns and promiscuous monks that we have inherited to this day.
"
Christian D. Knudsen
Doctor of Philosophy
Centre for Medieval Studies
University of Toronto
2012
This dissertation examines sexual misconduct in monasteries in the dioceses of Lincoln and Norwich between 1430 and 1530. Traditionally, any study of English monasticism during the late Middle Ages entailed the chronicling of a slow decline and decay. Indeed, for nearly 500 years, scholarship surrounding Henry VIII’s Dissolution of Monasteries (1536-40) emphasized its inevitability and presented late medieval monasticism as a lacklustre institution characterized by worsening standards, especially sexual promiscuity. Consequently, since the Dissolution, English monks and nuns have been constructed into naughty characters and according to this narrative, essentially, got what they deserved.
Despite this widespread assumption that sexual misconduct was endemic to late medieval English monasteries, there has been no serious attempt to test this hypothesis. Did late medieval English monks and nuns deserve their naughty reputation? This dissertation, centred on the sources that led to this claim, episcopal visitation records, will demonstrate that it is an exaggeration made possible by the nature of the sources, and a disregard for contextualisation and comparison between nuns and monks.
Chapter one discusses the development of the monastic ‘decline narrative’ and how lasciviousness came to be strongly associated with it. Chapter two presents the historical background and my methodology. Chapter three surveys the characteristics of monastic sexual misconduct such incidence rates, sexual partners and pregnancies. Chapter four examines the response of Church authorities to sexual scandals. Finally, Chapter five investigates the connection between the Dissolution and sexual misconduct, and in particular, the sodomy accusations made by Henry VIII’s agents.
The overarching conclusion is that sexual misconduct in English monasteries occurred at very low rates. Although sexual misconduct was considered a sin by Church authorities, in general, bishops de-emphasized it compared to other disciplinary issues such as financial mismanagement. In contrast, Henry VIII’s agents strove to amass evidence of widespread monastic sexual misconduct, and even re-classified masturbation under the more serious crime of sodomy to bolster the number of accused monastic ‘sodomites’. Consequently, their salacious reports played a key role in justifying the Dissolution and constructing the image of naughty nuns and promiscuous monks that we have inherited to this day.
"
Throughout the tenth century, the Anglo-Saxon educators portrayed a largely uniform theology of education on the role of corporal punishment. While whippings were seen as at times necessary, Anglo-Saxons appear to have viewed corporal... more
Throughout the tenth century, the Anglo-Saxon educators portrayed a largely uniform theology of education on the role of corporal punishment. While whippings were seen as at times necessary, Anglo-Saxons appear to have viewed corporal punishment (at least in theory) as a last resort. Anglo-Saxon authors described corporal punishment in terms of several biblical passages (most notably 2 Tim 4:2) and used God’s fatherhood as the primary example of correction.
Análisis formal e iconográfico de los Retablos del Monasterio Benedictino de San Julián de Samos, en cuya escultura se puede apreciar la evolución del estilo de José Ferreiro a partir de mediados de la década de los 80.
We intend to draw attention to the silenced relationship ─both in written sources as in archaeological ones─ between monasteries and parchment-making during Late Antiquity, particularly in Visigothic Hispania, where in fact there are few... more
We intend to draw attention to the silenced relationship ─both in written sources as in archaeological ones─ between monasteries and parchment-making during Late Antiquity, particularly in Visigothic Hispania, where in fact there are few archaeological data about primitive monastic communities. Once contextualized, the few and indirect evidences on the production of parchment may provide valuable arguments for the identification of these Christian monastic buildings in certain archaeological sites that have been classified according to other typologies (villages, castra, etc.). All this within a particular historical context of major changes, where the parchment codex has already replaced the papyrus roll.
Research Interests:
"Preliminary report on the results of an archaeological project developed in the monastery of Samos (Galice) is presented. The structures and materials discovered tell us about the ancient and recent history of the monastery, throwing... more
"Preliminary report on the results of an archaeological project developed in the monastery of
Samos (Galice) is presented. The structures and materials discovered tell us about the ancient and recent history
of the monastery, throwing new light upon the monks who lived there in the three latest centuries"
Samos (Galice) is presented. The structures and materials discovered tell us about the ancient and recent history
of the monastery, throwing new light upon the monks who lived there in the three latest centuries"
This dissertation details the liturgical and pastoral ministries performed by Benedictine women religious in England from 900 to 1200, primarily through close codicological and textual analyses of the original liturgical manuscripts that... more
This dissertation details the liturgical and pastoral ministries performed by Benedictine women religious in England from 900 to 1200, primarily through close codicological and textual analyses of the original liturgical manuscripts that these communities produced and/or used. This dissertation demonstrates that women religious exercised considerable control of and creativity in the ministries of their communities – founding monasteries, consecrating new members, proclaiming the gospel, preaching sermons, hearing confessions, administering the Eucharist, extending hospitality to visitors, anointing the sick, burying the dead, cultivating saints' shrines, and directing a variety of liturgical performances.
Research Interests: