A Study Of The Nunneries In The Late Medieval England

The nunnery has a long history and sound operation mechanism in Medieval England.In the late Middle Ages,the nunnery in England experienced a process from prosperity to decline.In the 13 th century,the nunnery in England has just completed the large-scale construction and revival,and is in a period of vigorous development.The nunnery declined gradually from the late 14 th century to the 15 th century.By reviewing the development of the nunnery in England from the 13 th to the 15 th century,we can grasp the characteristics of the late medieval England society.This paper takes the nunnery of England in the late Middle Ages as the research object,aiming to investigate the nunnery's motivation,the nunnery's composition and religious life,the nunnery's function,the decline and influence of the nunnery.The main body is composed of five parts: the first part mainly traces back to the development of the nunnery in England before the 13 th century,and briefly expounds the number and distribution of the nunnery in England in the late Middle Ages.The nunneries of England rose in the 7th century,declined in the 8th century,were revived and built in the 9th and 10 th centuries,and reached their peak in the 12 th and 13 th centuries.The second part analyzes the economic basis and the reasons why women enter nunnery in England.First of all,the female nuns need to be admitted to the hospital for donation,which means that the women who enter the nunnery are in the upper middle class of English society;secondly,the church in the Middle Ages dislikes the view of women and the view of chastity,which encourages more women to enter the nunnery;finally,the secular motivation,female sex,is to escape marriage,or be attracted by relatives,or be abandoned,or choose to provide for the aged to enter the nunnery.The third part discusses the composition and religious life of nunnery.The nunnery is composed of management,ordinary nuns,novice nuns,priests,servants,etc,and analyzes the religious life of nuns in the nunnery,aiming to show that the operation mechanism of the nunnery is sound and the nun life is rich.The fourth part discusses the function of nunnery.The development of the nunnery played an educational role for women and children,played a relief role for the poor,and provided religious services to the residents around the nunnery.The fifth part analyzes the reasons for the decline of the nunnery in England.On the one hand,the decline of nunnery was influenced by the strengthening of royal power and the decline of papal authority;on the other hand,it was caused by the nunnery itself.Finally,the influence of nunnery on English society is summarized and analyzed,involving three aspects: British culture,secular society and Catholicism.