StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Female Religious Orders Prior to 1600 - Term Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Female Religious Orders Prior to 1600" discusses that the reform brought about by a religious order named after Saint Ursula in 1532 was to take sisters away from a strictly cloistered lifestyle towards charity work done outside the cloister wall…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.1% of users find it useful
Female Religious Orders Prior to 1600
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Female Religious Orders Prior to 1600"

Before 1600, professing the evangelical vows at the time of taking membership in an order was an absolute necessity. These were religious orders in a very strict sense because professing the vows at inception was required by the superiors. However, this requirement ceased to be seen as a necessity by some new orders established later through the 16th to 17th century which suggests that they were not as religious orders as those before 1600. This paper aims to illustrate the nature of female religious orders before 1600. The following discussion will explore this subject from a historical perspective to comment on how these orders were a lot different in the period before 1600 than how they are observed now. Many changes have been introduced since 1600 which identify that religious orders for women were different back then at their core.

            Teresa of Avila is worth mentioning when discussing religious orders for women before 1600 because she was considered a true superior (Tyler 113). She is also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus in history. She was a very important Roman Catholic saint and a nun who took great steps in successfully reforming the Carmelite Order. She was a visionary with a huge interest in reformation. Her religious orders before 1600 show that she reformed the Carmelite convents singlehandedly. Historical records before 1600 show that the Carmelite Order was originally not based on contemplation or mental prayer which Teresa popularized later. Before actions taken by Teresa to introduce changes, this religious order attached huge importance to social prestige and wealth. Members of this order also regarded title and wealth very highly. However, Teresa reformed this order by removing “the canker of honor and social prestige” (Tyler 111). In place of status and power, she advocated poverty, modesty, chastity, and the elimination of all but a few comforts in life. Cloistered life or strict enclosure was the norm for all members of this order (Tyler 111). Teresa made Carmelite a very strict religious order by way of her reforms which is why the reformed Carmelite Order is considered one of the strictest orders which existed before 1600. All members at the time of inception were required by her to give up all endowments which ensured a good income and high status. Instead, she advocated the process of begging the Lord for forgiveness which was one of the fundamental reforms of the Carmelite religious order. As a result of such reforms in religious orders before 1600, sisters or nuns began to observe extremely modest measures. Before 1600, religious orders for women also had another important mission requiring sisters to implement a missionary focus in their prayer lives. Such reforms in religious orders attracted significant criticism from civil and religious authorities in the period before 1600 (Tyler 113). But, the persistent efforts of Saint Teresa managed to popularize reforms in religious orders throughout the world.

            Research also shows that though many common themes were found among religious orders in the period before 1600, it cannot be said that they were all completely similar. New religious orders began to emerge in which nuns sought an alternative to the cloistered life (McNamara 420). While Teresa in 1562 emphasized on a modest lifestyle with a missionary focus on sisters’ prayer life, other religious orders at that time had different principles and requirements. Reforms in religious orders for women before 1600 were not as common as they were for men. However, these reforms laid the foundation for distinguishing one order from another. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Evangelical Vows in Medieval Women's Religious Orders and the Reform B Term Paper, n.d.)
Evangelical Vows in Medieval Women's Religious Orders and the Reform B Term Paper. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1861201-female-religious-orders-inside-our-time-span-prior-to-1600
(Evangelical Vows in Medieval Women'S Religious Orders and the Reform B Term Paper)
Evangelical Vows in Medieval Women'S Religious Orders and the Reform B Term Paper. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1861201-female-religious-orders-inside-our-time-span-prior-to-1600.
“Evangelical Vows in Medieval Women'S Religious Orders and the Reform B Term Paper”. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1861201-female-religious-orders-inside-our-time-span-prior-to-1600.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Female Religious Orders Prior to 1600

Stereotype Threat

All were female ranging in the age of 17-42 years old.... AL l were female ranging in the age of 17-42 years old.... The following paper "Stereotype Threat" investigates the possible effects that gender stereotypes threaten achievement in mathematics.... It is mentioned that stereotypes often play a role in numerous portions of society as well as psychology....
12 Pages (3000 words) Research Paper

The European Renaissance: A Movement to Modernization

As such, at its heart, Europe has become a secular nation, as opposed to the Christian one prior to the Renaissance2.... Currently, it can be argued that Christianity is not the exclusive religion of Europe, instead, there are many different religions, and people who do not follow any religious beliefs....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Development of the World Wide Web

The paper "Development of the World Wide Web" highlights that Human webs are not just global but they influence the development of a particular nation as well.... Japan, for example, remained a charred state because of its nobles, the network between whom involved a higher degree of conflict.... ...
6 Pages (1500 words) Coursework

Describe the development of ancient Greek burial customs through time

It was a common belief among ancient Greeks that life after death existed and that the dead needed their accessories to enjoy in their status after they are dead.... According to Morris, space and time mark burial customs in Greece.... Greek culture and customs were largely affected.... ... ... Economic conditions determined the wealth of burial findings....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Comparison of Christianity and Muslim

One of the predominant religious systems in the United States is Christianity.... "Comparison of Christianity and Muslim" paper examines first many of the similarities the Qur'an and Bible share then the point out some differences between the books of Muslims and Christians respectively....
9 Pages (2250 words) Article

The Role of Women in Traditional Islam

This research paper "The Role of Women in Traditional Islam" declares that the religion of Islam is linked with peace all around.... The followers of this religion are known as Muslims and they are spread all over the world.... They believe that God exists and is invisible to the naked eye.... ... ...
15 Pages (3750 words) Research Paper

Muslim Women and Islam

Before the advent of Islam, several diverse nations and cultures existed in the Arabian Peninsula for about 14 centuries prior to its Islamization.... The teachings of the Prophet brought about far-reaching changes in the Arabian society of the seventh century, and in accordance with his sayings, women began to participate in all facets of society, be it social, political, religious or intellectual.... These nomadic desert dwellers were led to worship many male and female Gods for many centuries together....
22 Pages (5500 words) Research Paper

Sikhism History and the Present Practice

The paper "Sikhism History and the Present Practice" summarizes that in the pluralistic communities, where stress is being laid upon freedom, diversity, forbearance, with the sameness of ethnicity and gender, Sikh principles are systematically in action and friendly to the evolving humanity codes....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us