This volume collects papers originally presented at an innovative conference sponsored by the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University. That meeting brought cutting-edge academic research into dialogue with the experiences of those living in the Franciscan tradition as sisters, friars, and affiliated laity. Individual chapters now expand this conversation by presenting new research on Franciscan women in Europe and the Americas, with case studies ranging from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries. Readers thus will find both focused analyses of individual women and communities, as well as essays that consider theological and pastoral applications from the historical evidence. It is the editors' hope that the volume can lay a foundation for future collaborations.
