Research

My current research aims to recover the theological voice of Mother Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661), abbess and reformer of the French convent of Port-Royal in the early seventeenth century. It was Mother Angelique's reform that connected the convent to the allegedly heretical movement known as Jansenism. The controversy that followed focused, in part, on the question of whether the nuns--as women--held theological knowledge. Angelique thus provides an excellent example of a woman's voice in the history of theology, especially given the context of this controversy and her great reputation in seventeenth-century France as a reformer.

Works in Progress

I am currently working on an annotated translation of Angélique's writings on reform  for the Other Voice in Early Modern Europe series. This translation will include her autobiographical account of her reform, her statement of reasons for leaving the Cistercian order, her letter to Anne of Austria defending the practices at Port-Royal, and her discourses on the Rule of Saint Benedict, the latter of which is currently only available in manuscript.

I am also working on a book project that uses the example of Mother Angélique Arnauld, the reforming abbess of the so-called Jansenist convent of Port-Royal to propose a methodology of feminist historical theology. The approach follows the method outlined in the introduction. Chapter one provides historical context for understanding Angélique. The next four chapters examine themes in her theology, placing these in theological context and reconstructing her ideas. The conclusion evaluates her theology for today using feminist criteria. The project will be of interest to theologians, those interested in the history of the Port-Royal nuns, and historians of women and gender.

Books and Edited Volumes

Women and Public Theology: Emerging Voices, edited with Allison Murray. Under contract with Paulist Press. Anticipated publication in 2024.

A complete list of my conference presentations, and other information about my research, is available on my CV. See also my public theological writing on the blog WIT: Women in Theology.

My Dissertation

My dissertation, titled "The Early Modern Abbess as Théologienne: The Theology and Practice of Mother Angélique Arnauld," argues for the theological value of the writings of Angélique Arnauld (1591-1661), reforming abbess of the French Cistercian convent of Port-Royal. She reformed the convent according to the directives of the Council of Trent in the beginning of the seventeenth century and thus paved the way for the influence of the movement known as Jansenism. With reference to Antoine Furetière's 1690 definition of a théologien as someone "who knows theology, who teaches it, or who wrote it," this dissertation analyzes Angélique's writings to show the way in which she fulfilled all three of these criteria. Each chapter of the dissertation examines major theological themes that appear in her writings, including her understanding of reform, providence, sacraments, theological anthropology, the world, and the relationship between grace and freedom.