Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ILLITTERATAE (Women and the Transmission of Alternative Religious Knowledge in the Late Medieval Mediterranean)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-08-01 bis 2024-07-31
ILLITTERATAE explored religious radicalisation in later medieval Europe. It dealt, in particular, with the role of women in the process of conversion to alternative religious movements in the late-thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Without priestly office or formal Latin education, ‘illiterate’ women have been characterised as keen followers and caregivers, but their intellectual role in these movements has been considered marginal or nonexistent. ILLITTERATAE interrogated their impact on the transmission of religious ideas and devotional knowledge in the western Mediterranean region focusing on conversion from mainstream Christianity and redefining the metrics of religious radicalisation.
ILLITTERATAE concentrated on communities that came to be known as 'beguines/beguins', building and cataloguing an extensive corpus of archival and textual sources connected to the development of a ‘beguin’ identity across the Mediterranean. It also mapped the local, regional, and transnational levels of this movement, deemed to be ‘heretic’ by the papacy in the early fourteenth century, through the combined application of Social Network Analysis and Geographic Information Systems. Its Open Access web-based application makes the results of the project accessible to the scientific community and the wider public, including the source catalogue, relevant texts, maps, network graphs, and references to modern scholarship.
In sum, ILLITTERATAE provides valuable historical insights into the role of women in radical movements, which can inform modern debates on gender and radicalization in religious and political contexts. By exploring how historical gender biases have obscured the contributions of women in these movements, ILLITTERATAE encourages a more inclusive approach to studying radicalization in both historical and contemporary settings.
ILLITTERATAE concentrated on communities that came to be known as 'beguines/beguins', building and cataloguing an extensive corpus of archival and textual sources connected to the development of a ‘beguin’ identity across the Mediterranean. It also mapped the local, regional, and transnational levels of this movement, deemed to be ‘heretic’ by the papacy in the early fourteenth century, through the combined application of Social Network Analysis and Geographic Information Systems. Its Open Access web-based application makes the results of the project accessible to the scientific community and the wider public, including the source catalogue, relevant texts, maps, network graphs, and references to modern scholarship.
In sum, ILLITTERATAE provides valuable historical insights into the role of women in radical movements, which can inform modern debates on gender and radicalization in religious and political contexts. By exploring how historical gender biases have obscured the contributions of women in these movements, ILLITTERATAE encourages a more inclusive approach to studying radicalization in both historical and contemporary settings.
The work carried out during the course of ILLITTERATAE aligned closely with the project’s objectives, focusing on understanding the spread of alternative expressions of Christianity and the role of women in religious leadership within dissident communities.
The core of the project’s research involved extensive archival work to compile a comprehensive catalogue of sources connected to the beguin movement, particularly women’s roles in these communities. The fellow systematically surveyed inquisitorial registers, doctrinal texts, and archival documents from the Western Mediterranean. These sources were used to map the networks of beguin communities, highlighting key figures such as Na Prous Boneta and their transnational connections across Southern France, Catalonia, Mallorca, and Naples. One of the main outputs of ILLITTERATAE was the development of an Open Access web-based application that integrates a database of archival and textual sources. This digital tool, which includes maps, timelines, and network graphs, showcased the geographic and social spread of beguin communities and made the project’s findings accessible to both the academic community and the public.
The main achievements of the project to date also include a comprehensive catalog of archival and textual materials that document women’s involvement in alternative religious movements in the medieval Western Mediterranean. ILLITTERATAE introduced a relational model for understanding religious change, focusing on the interplay between individual actors and communities. This model redefines how historical narratives of religious radicalization are understood, placing women in central roles.
The project's findings have been widely disseminated to both academic and public audiences. ILLITTERATAE has resulted in two Open Access peer-reviewed articles, a forthcoming Open Access book chapter, several other publications currently under review, and multiple presentations at international conferences and workshops, specifically, 11 international conferences and 8 workshops. The web-based platform is a key tool for disseminating research results, enabling scholars and the wider public to explore the project's findings interactively. The fellow also contributed two articles to public history magazines, participated in podcast interviews and gave public lectures to reach a broader audience. These efforts helped bridge the gap between academia and public understanding of medieval religious cultures and women’s roles in them.
The core of the project’s research involved extensive archival work to compile a comprehensive catalogue of sources connected to the beguin movement, particularly women’s roles in these communities. The fellow systematically surveyed inquisitorial registers, doctrinal texts, and archival documents from the Western Mediterranean. These sources were used to map the networks of beguin communities, highlighting key figures such as Na Prous Boneta and their transnational connections across Southern France, Catalonia, Mallorca, and Naples. One of the main outputs of ILLITTERATAE was the development of an Open Access web-based application that integrates a database of archival and textual sources. This digital tool, which includes maps, timelines, and network graphs, showcased the geographic and social spread of beguin communities and made the project’s findings accessible to both the academic community and the public.
The main achievements of the project to date also include a comprehensive catalog of archival and textual materials that document women’s involvement in alternative religious movements in the medieval Western Mediterranean. ILLITTERATAE introduced a relational model for understanding religious change, focusing on the interplay between individual actors and communities. This model redefines how historical narratives of religious radicalization are understood, placing women in central roles.
The project's findings have been widely disseminated to both academic and public audiences. ILLITTERATAE has resulted in two Open Access peer-reviewed articles, a forthcoming Open Access book chapter, several other publications currently under review, and multiple presentations at international conferences and workshops, specifically, 11 international conferences and 8 workshops. The web-based platform is a key tool for disseminating research results, enabling scholars and the wider public to explore the project's findings interactively. The fellow also contributed two articles to public history magazines, participated in podcast interviews and gave public lectures to reach a broader audience. These efforts helped bridge the gap between academia and public understanding of medieval religious cultures and women’s roles in them.
The ILLITTERATAE project has significantly advanced research on the transmission of alternative religious knowledge in the Late Medieval Mediterranean, pushing beyond the existing boundaries of historical and religious studies in several ways.
Traditional studies of religious radicalization have often focused on doctrinal content or institutional responses to heretical movements. ILLITTERATAE has introduced a relational model that prioritizes the connections between individuals and communities, particularly in how alternative religious ideas spread through social networks. This approach moves beyond purely theological or political explanations, integrating social network analysis into the study of religious movements in the Middle Ages.
By applying these methodologies to medieval sources, the project combined digital humanities and historical research, challenging the male-centric narratives that have dominated the study of medieval heresy and religious dissent. Women such as Na Prous Boneta, previously relegated to the periphery of religious history, have been reinterpreted as central figures in religious movements. This was a significant step beyond current historiography, which often overlooks or minimizes the role of women in alternative religious leadership. ILLITTERATAE provided concrete, archival evidence of how women influenced and shaped religious communities and doctrines, placing them as leaders and not merely passive participants.
Finally, ILLITTERATAE redefined how religious radicalization in historical contexts could be understood. By analyzing the interplay between repression and dissent, and focusing on the dialectic between violence and extremism, the project developed a more nuanced interpretation of the dynamics within dissident religious communities. The project was one of the first to systematically link the study of radicalization with a gender perspective, offering fresh insights into how women contributed to and experienced these processes.
ILLITTERATAE holds the potential to impact both the academic community and society at large in multiple ways. By emphasizing the role of women and social networks, the project provides a new lens for studying medieval religious cultures, which can be applied to other historical contexts. This could lead to a broader reconsideration of religious movements in terms of gender and social structure across different periods. The project’s digital platform serves as an educational tool for scholars, students, and the general public, promoting a deeper understanding of medieval religious movements and the central role women played. The platform can be used in university-level courses and public history projects to enhance learning and engagement with historical sources. Through contributions to podcasts, public lectures, and public history magazines, the project has already begun to reach a wider audience, fostering public interest in medieval history and its relevance to contemporary discussions on religious violence, gender roles, and radicalization.
Traditional studies of religious radicalization have often focused on doctrinal content or institutional responses to heretical movements. ILLITTERATAE has introduced a relational model that prioritizes the connections between individuals and communities, particularly in how alternative religious ideas spread through social networks. This approach moves beyond purely theological or political explanations, integrating social network analysis into the study of religious movements in the Middle Ages.
By applying these methodologies to medieval sources, the project combined digital humanities and historical research, challenging the male-centric narratives that have dominated the study of medieval heresy and religious dissent. Women such as Na Prous Boneta, previously relegated to the periphery of religious history, have been reinterpreted as central figures in religious movements. This was a significant step beyond current historiography, which often overlooks or minimizes the role of women in alternative religious leadership. ILLITTERATAE provided concrete, archival evidence of how women influenced and shaped religious communities and doctrines, placing them as leaders and not merely passive participants.
Finally, ILLITTERATAE redefined how religious radicalization in historical contexts could be understood. By analyzing the interplay between repression and dissent, and focusing on the dialectic between violence and extremism, the project developed a more nuanced interpretation of the dynamics within dissident religious communities. The project was one of the first to systematically link the study of radicalization with a gender perspective, offering fresh insights into how women contributed to and experienced these processes.
ILLITTERATAE holds the potential to impact both the academic community and society at large in multiple ways. By emphasizing the role of women and social networks, the project provides a new lens for studying medieval religious cultures, which can be applied to other historical contexts. This could lead to a broader reconsideration of religious movements in terms of gender and social structure across different periods. The project’s digital platform serves as an educational tool for scholars, students, and the general public, promoting a deeper understanding of medieval religious movements and the central role women played. The platform can be used in university-level courses and public history projects to enhance learning and engagement with historical sources. Through contributions to podcasts, public lectures, and public history magazines, the project has already begun to reach a wider audience, fostering public interest in medieval history and its relevance to contemporary discussions on religious violence, gender roles, and radicalization.