Abstract
This chapter focuses on how lay women participated in the early Franciscan movement as evangelizers and as somatic preachers. Three women best characterize the role of female preachers in the first two centuries of the Franciscan movement: Rose of Viterbo, Angela of Foligno, and Angelina of Montegiove. All three women looked to Francis for spiritual inspiration and sought to follow his footsteps. In turn all three became revered by their contemporaries as holy. What we know about their careers as evangelizers, however, has been significantly shaped by the sources that relate their lives. The chapter explores their careers as somatic preachers as much as it explores what has been made of their careers by their promoters and interpreters. The understanding of preaching allowed for any of the Poverello’s followers to participate fully in a fundamental mendicant act, including women, without finding themselves subject to local ecclesial censure or limitations. Keywords:Angela of Foligno; Angelina of Montegiove; ecclesial concerns; evangelizers; Franciscan movement; lay women; Rose of Viterbo; somatic preacher
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.