Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland ed. by Martin Browne, O.S.B., Tracy Collins, Bronagh Ann McShane, Colmán Ó Claibaigh, O.S.B (review)

Reviewed by: Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland ed. by Martin Browne, O. S. B. , Tracy Collins, Bronagh Ann McShane, Colmán Ó Claibaigh, O. S. B Colleen Maura McGrane O. S. B. Brides of Christ: Women and Monasticism in Medieval and Early Modern Ireland, Martin Browne, O. S. B. , Tracy Collins, Bronagh Ann McShane, Colmán Ó Claibaigh, O. S. B. , eds. (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2023. Pp. xvi, 215. Hardcover, 70. ISBN 978-1-80151-022-6). Brides of Christ is a very attractive hardbound volume with fourteen beautiful color illustrations and maps, as well as other monochrome images. In its foreword, Abbess Máire Hickey, O. S. B. , comments: The 'Brides of Christ' are nowadays a rare breed—considered by many almost as an endangered species. As a living member of that species, I am glad to be able to assure you that we are not on the verge of extinction. Right now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, we are rather in a process of evolution, and I for one am passionately interested in all that can be learned about our origins and how our predecessors survived and flourished for almost two millennia. Like the rest of the human family, nuns and female religious are moving into an uncharted future, and a healthy sense of continuity with our forebears is a helpful balance to the necessary openness about what is to come. (xv) This volume contains papers presented by scholars and researchers on women and religious life in medieval and early Ireland at the Fifth Glenstal History Conference that occurred online in 2021. Addressed to experts in the field, it will be valuable for researchers now and in the future. Readers who, like this reviewer, are not well-versed in Irish geography and history of religious life will find it more difficult to access. Adding to this difficulty is the small size of the font. Archeological evidence points to the existence of at least fifty-one female religious communities during the early medieval period. There were seven large communities including Ballyvourney (6th c. ), End Page 112 Clonbroney (later 7th or early 8th c. ), Cloonburren (6th c. ), Kildare (founded possibly late 5th c. , though highpoint 7th c. ), Killaright (founded possibly 5th c. ), Killedy (6th c. ), and Killevy (early 6th c. ). There were ten women's communities that were located in close proximity to men's communities. The remaining thirty-three were small dwellings of holy women connected to churches or other ecclesial sites. Three martyrologies from the ninth to the twelfth centuries provide evidence for the women saints of Ireland. Among these are Samthann, Scíath, Crón, Ethne, and Sodelb. Four Lives of St. Brigit were written prior to the mid-ninth century and the Lives of St. Ité date from the twelfth century. The focus of this volume is on the individual lives of holy women. Thus one learns about Brigit but not about the life of her community at Kildare. Perhaps unknown to many readers, a group of Irish monks led by Marianus Scotus on pilgrimage to Rome in 1074 stopped in Regensburg and were persuaded to stay there as scribes for two female monasteries, the Niedermünster and the Obermünster. They were given a small church. Beginning here, these Irish monks founded monasteries throughout southern Germany. Four Irish women are later recorded as entering the Niedermünster. Originally Benedictine, the community seems to have evolved into canonesses. However, in this time period there was an effort to reform the women's monasteries in Regensburg and return them to following the Rule of Benedict. This is one of very few references to Benedictine nuns in the book. There are scattered references to Cistercians, but also to Augustinian canonesses, Poor Clares, and Dominicans. In addition, the book discusses women who lived as vowesses, anchoresses, recluses, and tertiaries; as well as those belonging to communities of men and women who cared for those in hospitals, and those who were members of confraternities. It would have seemingly been more accurate to use "Women and Religious Life" rather than "Women and Monasticism" in the subtitle. Nonetheless, for those seeking detailed analysis. . .