Ancrene Wisse and Vernacular Spirituality in the Middle Ages is an introduction to the Ancrene Wisse--an important thirteenth-century guide for recluses who, for religious reasons, withdrew from secularity in order to lead an ascetic and prayer-oriented life. This volume considers the broad religious context in which the Ancrene Wisse was written and broadens that context by addressing issues of readership, drawing comparisons...