I am giving a presentation on “Un Courage viril. Le genre et la violence en France pendant les Guerres de religion, 1562-1629,” at the séminaire interne of the Institut d’Études Avancées de Paris on Tuesday 3 February 2015.

This presentation will introduce my book project on A Virile Courage: Gender and Violence in the French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629,  through a broader discussion of research methodologies on gender and violence.

Religious politics and civil warfare disrupted gender relations during the French Wars of Religion, allowing individuals to challenge gender stereotypes and transgress gender boundaries in new ways. Some “women warriors” engaging directly in violence during the religious wars that devastated France from 1562 to 1629. Religious divisions separated Calvinist and Catholic communities in early modern France, erecting confessional (or sectarian) boundaries and simultaneously establishing new gender distinctions in French society. Despite these social barriers, women were important historical actors in the religious wars, promoting various religious reforms and political agendas in the context of intense sectarian violence.

My book project, A Virile Courage: Gender and Violence in the French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629, examines the gendered nature of violence and political culture in early modern France. The book will provide a detailed examination of the roles that gender played in confessional politics and religious violence in early modern France, contributing new perspectives on the dynamics of religious activism and sectarian violence.

The IEA de Paris website provides more information on my book project.