Arts and Humanities Commons^™

“Monstrous Regiment Of Women”: Catholic Women’S Reactions To Reform In Sixteenth Century Scotland, Maeghan O'Conner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Reformation in Scotland brought with it a substantial theological shift in perspective toward the place of women in religion, society, and politics. Women under Catholicism had established a pseudo-realm of agency as religious heads of the household and religious guidance from leaders outside their husbands and fathers, which changed drastically in the wave of Protestantism. The contemporary theological arguments most relevant in Scotland from John Knox and John Leslie are discussed to establish the basis of thought with which society would adjust women's roles. This thesis will ultimately emphasize the reactions and negotiations of Catholic women to this new …