The Beguines of Medieval Paris: Gender, Patronage, and Spiritual Authority, Paperback - Tanya Stabler Miller
. Based on intensive archival research, The Beguines of Medieval Paris makes an original contribution to the history of female religiosity and labor, university politics and intellectual debates, royal piety, and the central place of Paris in the commerce and culture of medieval Europe. In this vibrant and cosmopolitan city, the beguines, women who wished to devote their lives to Christian ideals without taking formal vows, enjoyed a level of patronage and esteem that was uncommon among like communities elsewhere.The Beguines of Medieval Paris examines these religious communities and their direct participation in the city's commercial, intellectual, and religious life.