Chapter Introduction : Persuasive and Silenced Voices

Abstract

Medieval Work, Worship, and Power: Persuasive and Silenced Voices celebrates Sharon Farmer's significant contributions to the fields of medieval European social, religious, gender, environmental, labor, and interfaith history. This volume explores and builds onFarmer’s influence through 20 chapters organized across five intersecting topics that capture, chronologically, topically, and theoretically, the scope and trajectory of Farmer’s work. These are (1) Saints, Power, and Piety; (2) Gendered Work; (3) Gender and Resource Management; (4) Women’s Agency and Networks; and (5) Interfaith Tensions and Encounters. At the same time, the chapters themselves reflect the ways in which these fields of inquiry are intertwined, many drawing inspiration from the multiple themes that Farmer has explored. Beyond paying homage to a dedicated and influential scholar, mentor, and teacher, this volume represents current and future directions in the field of medieval history, and how scholars are engaging with unexpected sources and interpreting more familiar sources in new, interdisciplinary ways. The volume will appeal to medievalists and early modernists interested in how religion, gender, and status shape human connections to each other and their environment. More broadly, it will also be of interest to scholars interested in historical methods.