Nails in the Wall: Catholic Nuns in Reformation GermanyDuring the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther instituted new ideologies addressing gender, marriage, chastity, and religious life that threatened Catholic monasticism. Yet many living in cloistered religious communities, particularly women, refused to accept these new terms and were successful in their opposition to the new Protestant culture. Focusing primarily on a group of Dominican nuns in Strasbourg, Germany, Amy Leonard's Nails in the Wall outlines the century-long battle between these nuns and the Protestant city council. With savvy strategies that employed charm, wealth, and political and social connections, the nuns were able to sustain their Catholic practices. Leonard's in-depth archival research uncovers letters about and records of the nuns' struggle to maintain their religious beliefs and way of life in the face of Protestant reforms. She tells the story of how they worked privately to keep Catholicism alive-continuing to pray in Latin, smuggling in priests to celebrate Mass, and secretly professing scores of novices to ensure the continued survival of their convents. This fascinating and heartening study shows that, far from passively allowing the Protestants to dismantle their belief system, the women of the Strasbourg convents were active participants in the battle over their vocation and independence. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Establishment and Growth of the Dominican Convents | 12 |
TWO From Neighbor to Neighbor Reformation Theories of the Utility of the Cloister | 38 |
THREE The Reformation Confronts the Convents | 59 |
FOUR The Ties That Bind Nuns Families and Magistrates | 85 |
FIVE The Empire Strikes Back The CounterReformation in Strasbourg | 107 |
SIX Nuns as Whores The Closing of St NicholasinUndis | 130 |
Conclusion | 146 |
Dominican Nuns in SixteenthCentury Strasbourg | 157 |
Notes | 161 |
| 193 | |
| 211 | |
| 215 | |
Other editions - View all
Nails in the Wall: Catholic Nuns in Reformation Germany (Women in Culture ... Amy Leonard No preview available - 2011 |
Nails in the Wall: Catholic Nuns in Reformation Germany (Women in Culture ... Amy Leonard No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
accept active allowed AMS II appeared asked attack attempts authority became bishop Braun brothers Bucer called Catholic Catholicism century Christian church city council city’s claimed clergy cloister close concerned connection continued convent daughters decided Despite Dominican early elite emperor empire enclosure entered especially established example fact families father female financial first follow forced friars Germany girls give houses imperial important institutions Italy later least leave live Luther magistrates maintain Margaret and Agnes Mass monastic needed never Nicholas-in-Undis novices nuns observance pamphlets particular pensions period political practical prayers prioress Protestant Reformation refused religion religious remained response role rules schools secular sisters sixteenth century society spiritual stay Strasbourg took tried true turned urban vows wanted women wrote young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Nails in the Wall: Catholic Nuns in Reformation Germany Women in Culture and Society |
| Author | Amy Leonard |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press, 2005 |
| ISBN | 0226472574, 9780226472577 |
| Length | 218 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Europe / Western History / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |