Minnis (English, Yale U.) and Voaden (English, Arizona State U.) have compiled an impressive collection of 27 chapters, written by an international group of medieval scholars, that describes the lives and philosophies of a large selection of the ardent and sometimes radically religious women who influenced popular piety during the Middle Ages. The chapters are organized by region, with an introductory chapter to each section surveying its known leading religious women. Throughout, the lives, preaching, visions, and other activities of the women are situated within the larger context of the political, social, economic, and religious culture of their local area. Each of the seven regional overview chapters concludes with a detailed listing of religious women, their writings, and secondary bibliography. The volume opens with five overview chapters--on religious roles, the body, textual authority of women, communal life, and dissent. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)