The title chosen for this volume of collected studies is deliberately ambiguous. Many of the selected articles do indeed focus on the religious life of Byzantine women, particularly within the monastic milieu, but others treat the theme of women's lives more broadly, and yet others examine the religious life of men, often in comparison with that of nuns. A related topic explored in several essays is the issue of sanctity in Byzantium, how the cults of various saints developed, and the role of hagiography in the sanctification of holy men and women.
Read More