Women in the Protestant Reformation
The status of Women in the Protestant Reformation was deeply influenced by Bible study, as the Reformation promoted literacy and Bible study in order to study God's will in what a society should look like. This influenced women's lives in both positive and negative ways, depending on what scripture and passages of the Bible were studied and promoted. The ideal of Bible study for commoners improved women's literacy and education, and many women became known for their interest and involvement in public debate during the Reformation. In parallel, however, their voices were often suppressed because of the edict of the Bible that women were to be silent. The abolition of the female convents resulted in the role of wife and mother becoming the only remaining ideal for a woman. Women's role during the Reformation Education The Reformation promoted literacy and the study of the Bible in vernacular language in order to study how society should look like in the eyes of God. Commoners and not only clergy were now encouraged to study the Bible, which in turn encouraged literacy. Literacy and Bible study were, to a varying degree, encouraged for women as well, for them to be a biblical influence