Apostate Nuns in the Later Middle Ages by Elizabeth Makowski (review)

Reviewed by: Apostate Nuns in the Later Middle Ages by Elizabeth Makowski Janet Burton Apostate Nuns in the Later Middle Ages. By Elizabeth Makowski. (Suffolk, UK: Boydell Press. 2019. Pp. 244. 95. ISBN 978-1-783-27426-0. ) "To make a vow is a matter of will; to fulfil one is a matter of necessity. " The Glossa Ordinaria, the "standard commentary on medieval canon law, " quoted by Makowski (2), sums up the situation of the women discussed in this book, those who—for a variety of reasons—abandoned the vows they had taken on entering the religious life and became apostates. Unless they could prove that their vows had not been taken willingly, they were excommunicated and subject to severe punishment. Apostate Nuns is the first study to consider in depth the legal and practical implications of women setting aside their vows and leaving the religious life. It focuses on the later Middle Ages, from roughly 1300, when legal procedures had become standardized. Based on the rulings of canon law and monastic regulations, documents relating to individual case studies, and narratives which reveal the lived experience of female apostates, Makowski's detailed study sheds light on the complexities of the circumstances in which women left their communities—some to return and others not—and dispels the one-dimensional stereotype of the "wayward nun. " In a comprehensive opening chapter Makowski guides the reader through the intricacies of the development, within canon law, of notions of what constituted apostasy and the legal procedures invoked to deal with it. There follow three chapters exploring different contexts—and reasons—for women turning their backs on the religious life. These included women who had made their profession, others who had worn the religious habit for some time but not yet taken the final step, and "quasi-religious. " First, there were those who claimed that "force or fear" had coerced them into entering religion and who could petition for an annulment of their vows. As Makowski argues, these women would have been those with the means (financial and evidential) to file a petition. They did not have to run away, and if—from within their communities—they could prove coercion, they could leave. The cases here discussed vividly convey the ambiguities: the claim and counterclaim by interested parties, collusion, force, physical violence, and threats. Makowski then turns to a discussion of those women who could not show that they had been coerced but were still unhappy within their convent walls, and who, legally, had no recourse. They could try to adjust to community life, and in so doing, Makowski argues, might try to live the way they would have done in the outside world (this may explain some of the criticism found in episcopal visitation). End Page 409 They could rail against their vows of chastity and poverty by taking lovers or seeking to inherit land, attempting to claim the status of heiresses. In this latter pursuit they might be abducted (willingly or unwillingly) by men. Makowski is sensitive to historical context, demonstrating how life within communities ravaged by war or plague might force unhappy women out of their cloister. Two chapters discuss the return of the "prodigals, " those who, for whatever reason, regretted their decision to leave and sought pardon. Various penalties might be exacted including (especially for repeat offenders) transfer from their original house to another. There could be problems of (re) integration whatever the decision. Makowski offers a meticulously researched and rich discussion of female apostates, in which we glimpse their lived experiences and the challenges they faced. She is sensitive to the historical context that produced unhappy women who sought release from their vows, not just coercion from family and friends, but the psychological impact of war and disease, as well as the demands of religious reform. Janet Burton University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter Copyright © 2024 The Catholic University of America Press