Women at the Table

Although often missing in official documents, women of medieval times exercised power and voice in the theological discussions around them. Women at the Table analyzes the biographies of three saints as genuine theological sources, acknowledging the roles these women played, not only in the creation of these texts (as subject, author, source, or commissioner) but also as a legitimate part of the Church's tradition. Mayeski asserts that medieval hagiography, often neglected in theological scholarship, was a vital theological genre for early Christian theologians, and that treating them as such brings forth the lives of these women, their voices, and the transitioning Church around them.

Chapters are: "Theology and Narrative Sources: An Introduction," “Life of St. Margaret: Theology of Inherited Virtue and Childbirth,” “Life of St. Leoba: Theology of Church in Mission,” and “Life of St. Radegunde: Theology of Power and the Cross.”

Marie Anne Mayeski, PhD, is Professor of Historical Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.