Creating the Medieval Christian Woman: Conduct Literature and Religious Identity

In the late medieval era, conduct literature emerged to guide young men and women into a successful life of fulfilling various duties and expectations. My research examines how this literature shaped a common religious and social identity for aristocratic and bourgeois European women. By focusing on conduct literature directed towards women, I analyze how the female identity created in these texts was influenced by Christian beliefs, which highlights the relationship between religion and society. I conclude by comparing this work to the life of Margery Kempe through The Book of Margery Kempe, which outlines aspects of her social and religious life