WGS 310 - week 5 Posting

Powell, Raymond A. "Margery Kempe: An Exemplar of Late Medieval English Piety." The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 89, No. 1 (2003): 1-23.

This is a source I have chosen to explore while researching information about Margery Kempe which comes from an article written (at the time of its publication) from a Graduate Student in European and American Religious History at the University of Virginia. This article was published in a Catholic Historical study publication. The author, Raymond Powell explores the different theories and opinions that have been looked at over the years by different scholars, some of these interpretations have led to negative opinions of Margery Kempe while others have regarded her more positively and have even associated her writing as an example of early feminist rhetoric.

I feel that using this source will help give me a certain insider’s point of view since it is written from a person that has studied the significance of the religious culture in a historical context. An example of this can be found while reading about an interesting method of personal spiritual development used during the late Middle Ages called Meditacions. For my paper it will be nice to explore the significance of Margery’s society while at the same time trying to understand the passion and devotion that Margery Kempe would have felt as she struggled to understand her feelings about faith, motherhood, and womanhood.

Clement, Jennifer. "The Queen's Voice: Elizabeth I's Christian Prayers and Meditations." Early Modern Literary Studies (2008).

My second source of research will be used to explore the writings of Queen Elizabeth I and the influence these writing may have had on her reign as a powerful and successful Queen of England and as the Supreme Governor over the Church of England. This particular article explores Queen Elizabeth’s writings and the challenges she would have faced particularly with the prayers that were questionability written by her during her time in power. The author of this article explores the delicate balance of power, humility and God’s authority which she would have had to demonstrate in her writings.

I will more than likely use this resource to explore the differences the Queen of England and Margery Kempe experienced when it came to being able to assert any sort of religious or spiritual authority. I will also try to compare and contrast how these two women both shared a strong religious devotion to the church and how each woman faced different and similar challenges.