Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Convent
(1,275 words)

1. Definition

Convent (nunnery) is the modern term for a Catholic monastic community (Monastery) consisting of nuns belonging to a particular order. Convents developed with the expansion of Christianity beginning in the early Middle Ages; most were subordinate to a monastery for men. The terms convent and nunnery are interchangeable, except that convent is sometimes used in the sense of any community under monastic vows, of either men or women. Besides the community itself, convent can also…

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Knackmuß, Susanne and Ulbrich, Claudia, “Convent”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_019369>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170206



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