Welcome to this collection of excerpts from the Sister Books!
How to use this site
Find a variety of excerpts below and explore the links!
What the “Sister Books” are
These are the medieval Dutch writings of the Sisters of the Common Life, women who were part of the Devotio moderna (Modern Devotion), a late medieval and early modern movement for renewal of Christian piety and community.
Si dan aldus vol doechden was ende allen menschen een exempel alles guedes, soedat een ander guede zuster alsoe veel doechden van oer mercte, dat si anders gien boeck en behoefde dan oer hilige ende levendige exempel, als hiervoer geschreven is…
She was then thus so full of virtues and was an example of all good to all people, so that another good sister might remark so many of her virtues that she needed no other book than her holy living example, as is written about above…
Excerpt from (17) Van zuster Stijne van Kalker. († 1422), in Dirk de Man, Ed. 1919. Hier beginnen sommige stichtige punten van onsen oelden zusteren. Martinus Nijhoff, Den Haag, 45.