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The way that we have perceived, described, and understood sexual desire has changed dramatically over time and across cultures. This collection brings together a group of experts from a variety of disciplines to explore the history of sexual desires and the transformation of sexual ideas, attitudes, and practices in premodern Europe. Among the topics considered are the visibility of sexual offenses and the construction of passions; the geographical range extends to Great Britain, with extended attention also to France as well as Northern and Eastern Europe. The result is a groundbreaking volume that adds significantly to our understanding of premodern European history, history of sexualities, gender studies, religious history, and many other fields.

The article discusses how the relationships between religious men and women were discussed in the ‘Buch der Reformacio Predigerordens’ written by an Observant Dominican reformer Johannes Meyer around 1468. Though the general attitude during the late fifteenth century seemed to emphasize authority and control by men, the relationships between confessors and nuns were described in other ways as well. Meyer’s work offers the possibility of understanding the varieties of interaction and also, at least partly, everyday interaction in religious communities. The theme of relationships is approached from three different perspectives, starting with the conflicts between friars and nuns, and moving on to their co-operation. In the final section the possibility of friendship between religious authorities and women is discussed. In conclusion, it can be said that Meyer positioned himself between the friars and the nuns. He drew on texts written by women and men and integrated them into new compilations. Also,...