TNTL 111

Marit Monteiro

Ieder haar waarom. Betekenis van geloof en geloofsbeleving voor vrouwen in de tijd van Tesselschade Roemers

Abstract - In 1641 the poet Tesselschade Roemers acknowledged her Catholic religious conviction. This confessional choice can be explained by her ideal of religious unity, by the social-religious circumstances of her hometown Alkmaar, as well as by the tragic loss of her husband and two daughters. In this article another possible explanation is explored. Her decision not to remarry probably met with more approval among Catholics than among Protestants. Whereas the virginal or celibate state in life was highly respected in Catholic circles, Protestants considered marriage as the 'natural' destination of a woman's life. An analysis of Tesselschade Roemers' motives sheds some light on the meaning of religion for women in the Early Modern period.