The Book of The City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan reads like a systematic take-down of the misogyny that dogged medieval women. The Middle Ages brand of anti-feminism was inherited in large part from Judaeo-Christian theology, in which medieval theologians took the idea that Eve was at fault for the Original Sin, resulting in God punishing all woman-kind with bodily suffering, such as menstruation and child-birth, and subservience to their male counterparts. The Book of The City of Ladies is Pizan’s response to this form of thinking that shaped medieval women’s daily lives. As a modern reader, I was smugly satisfied at Pizan’s well-reasoned, insightful, and precise arguments that targeted and dismantled traditional medieval misogynistic beliefs, as well as being pleasantly surprised at the balance she maintained between her faith and her feminist thought.

The book begins with Christine reading a book, shocked and dismayed by the vitriolic rhetoric against women which seems to be supported by Christian theological arguments. Overwhelmed by self-doubt, she calls out to God wondering how He could’ve made women such imperfect creatures if every creation of His is good. At this point, she is visited by three figures introducing themselves to be  Daughters of God, who call her to a divine mission of building an allegorical city which defends women from slander. Although only the beginning of the book, it perfectly captures the tension created by religious sentiment against women. 

It is tempting, as modern readers, to assume that the faith versus feminism argument is black and white, especially in a medieval context. Christine’s book is challenging and relevant still because of how it challenges that assumption. As she introduces the Daughters of God, Reason, Rectitude and Justice, we see that Christine intends to use the same faith to defend women that is used to produce misogyny in the first place. Throughout her book, we see her faith in God as her support system. From the very beginning, even when overcome with doubt, it is God she calls out to, “Unless I commit an error of faith, I cannot doubt that you, in your infinite wisdom and perfect goodness, could make anything that wasn’t good. Didn’t you yourself create women especially… with all the qualities you wished her to have?…Yet here stand women, not simply accused, but already judged, sentenced and condemned!”¹ For Christine de Pizan, the problem was never faith versus feminism, but rather male-dominated society versus women.

As Reason, Rectitude and Justice guide Christine through building a city for the protection of women, Pizan unfolds her arguments, like a pros and cons list, addressing harmful stereotypes against women, the ‘why’ behind misogyny, as well as women from history who have contributed to society. The ‘building’ of her arguments is described quite literally; a foundation is laid down, buildings erected and defenses raised. As these are described, Christine lays down her corresponding arguments. Here, I can appreciate her approach as being simultaneously methodical and poetic. This is also where we come to see the second aspect of how faith affects Pizan’s feminism. Despite the purpose of this book being to defend women, the specific purpose is revealed to be to protect virtuous women, “Only ladies who are of good reputation and worthy of praise will be admitted into this city. To those lacking in virtue, its gates will remain forever closed.”² By categorising women as such and reserving protection for only ladies of certain virtue, Pizan’s book retains one of the traditional forms of misogyny found in theological arguments where vitriol can be freely aimed at ‘non-virtuous women’. Because of this idea, in some instances, this book does stumble into being an uncomfortable case of ‘I don’t deserve your misogyny because I’m a good woman’. 

However, even with those instances, I don’t see this book as anything less than revolutionary. Pizan was the first professional ‘woman of letters’ in France, i.e., the first female writer in France who had patrons and was paid for her writings, as well as the first woman to put pen to paper and mount a defence of women in the style of the writers and philosophers who were usually on the opposing side. This book defended medieval women against the traditionally held beliefs against them through highlighting women’s achievements throughout history and mythology, which clearly reflected the intelligent and educated nature of the writer. Obviously, Pizan’s progressive thinking wouldn’t fit the definition of ‘progressive’ in our time. However, it is also obvious that Pizan was progressive beyond her time and The Book of the City of Ladies remains as proof of her faith-based feminism.