"In The Garden of Delights, Fiona J. Griffiths offers the first major study of the Hortus deliciarum, a magnificently illuminated manuscript of theology, biblical history, and canon law written both by and explicitly for women at the end of the twelfth century. In so doing she provides a persuasive new reading of female monastic culture. Through careful analysis of the contents, structure, and organization of the Hortus, Griffiths argues for women's profound engagement with the spiritual and intellectual vitality of the period on a level previously thought unimaginable, overturning the assumption that women were largely excluded from the "renaissance" and "reform" of this period."--Jacket.

Griffiths (history, New York University) presents an important study of the Hortus deliciarum, a magnificently illustrated manuscript compiled under the direction of Abbess Herrad of Hohenbourg. Destroyed during the Prussian siege of Strasbourg in 1870, the Hortus was a selection of authoritative theological, biblical, and legal texts, woven together into a challenging theological curriculum. Skillfully reconstructed from notes and tracings, the Hortus presents readers with a valuable witness to the daily life and theological education of 12th-century monastic women, and helps answer questions about the role of women in the 12th-century monastic reform movement. The Hortus also provided the women of Hohenbourg with a supplement--or even a replacement--to the theological education provided by the priests attached to the community, a degree of autonomy reflected in Herrad's own position as abbess of an independent female monastic community. The Hortus is a monument to women's roles in 12th-century intellectual discourse, and Griffiths captures the enthusiastic engagement of women during this era of ecclesiastical reform and renaissance. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by J.M.B. Porter.