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The Book of Margery Kempe
Margery Kempe's narrative, drawing from her maternal, feminine body, illuminates her divine connection. A singular tale of sin, sex, and salvation, 'The Book of Margery Kempe' has intrigued readers since its 1934 discovery. Mother of fourteen, wife to a bewildered John, Margery shares her unique brand of affective piety intense weeping, bodily lack of control, compulsive travel, visionary thoughts and her personal, privileged mystical bond with Christ. This new, thematically organized translation emphasizes passages highlighting Margery's reliance on her maternal and sexual experiences to gain spiritual and literary authority. With a detailed introduction and interpretive essay, this volume explores the significance of motherhood, sexuality, and female orality in Margery's mystical experiences, contributing to contemporary debates about holy women in the later Middle Ages.
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About the author
Anthony Bale
19 books47 followersProfessor Anthony Bale, MA (Oxford), MA (York), DPhil (Oxford), is Professor of Medieval Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London, England.
Anthony Bale teaches on the BA English, MA Medieval Literature and Culture and supervises doctoral students working on medieval topics.
Bale has published widely on medieval literature, culture, and religion. In particular, his work has explored relations between Christians and Jews in medieval England. He has also edited and translated several medieval texts, and has recently published a new translation and edition of The Book of Margery Kempe with Oxford University Press. His current work explores travel and pilgrimage between England and the Holy Land in the later Middle Ages.
He has received fellowships from the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the Australian Research Councils, the British Academy, the Huntington Library, the Leverhulme Trust, the University of Michigan Frankel Institute, and the National Humanities Center.
Anthony Bale teaches on the BA English, MA Medieval Literature and Culture and supervises doctoral students working on medieval topics.
Bale has published widely on medieval literature, culture, and religion. In particular, his work has explored relations between Christians and Jews in medieval England. He has also edited and translated several medieval texts, and has recently published a new translation and edition of The Book of Margery Kempe with Oxford University Press. His current work explores travel and pilgrimage between England and the Holy Land in the later Middle Ages.
He has received fellowships from the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the Australian Research Councils, the British Academy, the Huntington Library, the Leverhulme Trust, the University of Michigan Frankel Institute, and the National Humanities Center.
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July 21, 2026
Bit repetitive but overall interesting look at Medieval religion, conversion, worship and women
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