Abstract
The vitae of saints often depict them as models of orthodox piety who stand in opposition to the beliefs and practices of dissidents. Jacques de Vitry established the model for the high middle ages with the vita of Marie d’Oignies, and Pope Gregory IX, upon the canonization of Anthony of Padua (1232), proclaimed the benefit of saints’ lives for fighting heresy (Guarnieri 2004, pp. 72–81; Benvenuti 1980, pp. 87–117; Benvenuti 1990, pp. 61–2). Here, we investigate whether some penitent women emerge as opponents of heresy not only by their example but also through their words and even their preaching. Furthermore, we analyze how biographers grapple with the public voice of their subjects. The women considered here are as follows: Umiliana dei Cerchi (1219–1246), Rose of Viterbo (1235–1252), Angela of Foligno (c. 1248–1309), and Clare of Rimini (c. 1266—c.1324–1329). Material from the vita of Clare of Montefalco (c. 1268–1308) also provides perspective on Angela’s milieu. We shall explore the language the hagiographers employ to describe the women’s voices and their positions vis-à-vis heresy.1
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© 2014 Fabrizio De Donno and Simon Gilson
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Kienzle, B.M., Stevens, T.A. (2014). Preaching, Heresy, and the Writing of Female Hagiography. In: De Donno, F., Gilson, S. (eds) Beyond Catholicism. Palgrave Studies in Cultural and Intellectual History. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137342034_3
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