Resources

Monastic Matrix is an ongoing collaborative effort by an international group of scholars of medieval history, religion, history of art, archaeology, religion, and other disciplines, as well as librarians and experts in computer technology.

Our goal is to document the participation of Christian women in the religion and society of medieval Europe. In particular, we aim to collect and make available all existing data about Christian religious women in Europe between 400 and 1600 C.E.

The project draws on both textual and material sources, primary and secondary, although its basis is unpublished archival evidence. It addresses a variety of individuals and groups in medieval Europe, and a range of ecclesiastical institutions, including monastic houses of every size, affiliation, and rule. Our editorial intentions in selecting and presenting material are both scholarly and pedagogical. Matrix is designed for use by scholars, students, and anyone interested in the study of women, medieval Europe, or the history of Christianity. Monastic Matrix can be used to study the histories of communities or individuals, consulted as a library of documents and images related to women’s communities, or as a reference guide, or the project can be searched as a database.