Overview
Ryanne Berry is a third-year Ph.D. student in Medieval Studies with a minor in Religious Studies. Her research focuses on mystical and devotional texts from late medieval England and the Low Countries. She is particularly interested in questions of temporality, materiality, and language in vernacular visionary writings, devotional material culture, and mystical theology.
Research Focus
Ryanne earned her B.A. in English and Religion from Oberlin College, where her senior thesis investigated the role of the body in the writings of Hadewijch of Antwerp, Margaret Ebner, and Mechthild of Magdeburg. In 2023, Ryanne earned an M.A. in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Columbia University. Her master’s thesis argued for the presence of a “negative poetics” in Julian of Norwich’s Showings that guides the soul toward God.
As a Ph.D. student, Ryanne continues to explore how medieval practices of reading and writing function as devotional acts. Her current research examines Middle English prayers and devotional texts alongside Middle Dutch mystical writings, focusing on how these works instruct medieval readers to engage with the book as a material and devotional object.
Courses Taught:
MEDVL 1101: Aspects of Medieval Culture: Heaven and Hell, Fall and Spring 2024 MEDVL 1101: Aspects of Medieval Culture: Dreams and Visions, Fall 2025