Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers a broad and eclectic approach to the experiences and activities of women, as well as the many meanings of gender in early modern Europe. The authors are equally diverse insofar as they represent feminist scholars at different stages of their careers and intellectual development. Moreover, the collection spans several disciplines, including literature, political science, and, predominantly, history. Importantly, however, all contributions share a significant departure from the increasingly stale paradigms commonly found in feminist, women's, and gender history. Besides political discourse, women engaged with other, equally male-dominated areas, such as law, religion, science, and economics. The book examines the ways in which women challenged political and legal traditions in early modern and modern European history. Melinda Zook's essay poses a dual challenge to orthodoxies within the culture of the Church of England.