Radical Wisdom

Beverly Lanzetta looks back at the mystical writings of medieval and early modern women and asks what they can offer readers facing abuse and injustice today. Her central idea is that contemplation can be understood as a movement by which women move from subjugation toward freedom. The mystics she turns to most often are Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila, both Christian.

The book describes the meditative practices these women used to pursue their deepest spiritual aims. Lanzetta also examines how unjust social and political arrangements wound the inner lives of women, linking the soul's suffering to the conditions of the world around it.

A central concern is what Lanzetta calls the via feminina, a women's path of mystical experience that she traces through history. From this path she draws conclusions about how women might think about their own bodies, their legal rights, and the ethical choices they face.