Made in God's image?

Published in 1997 by the University of California Press, Made in God's Image? emerged from the intersection of medieval art history and gender studies. Author Penny Howell Jolly, a scholar specializing in medieval iconography, sought to examine how late medieval representations of the human body were deeply influenced by theological debates regarding the creation of man and woman in the likeness of the divine. The work provides a rigorous analysis of the visual culture of the period, challenging existing interpretations of how gender was constructed and perceived within the religious framework of the Middle Ages.

The design and scholarly scope of the book reflect a transition in academic publishing during the late 1990s, where art historians began integrating feminist theory with formal iconographic analysis. By focusing on specific visual motifs in manuscripts and sculpture, Jolly crafted a study that has been well-regarded for its primary source research and its contribution to the understanding of bodily imagery in pre-modern Europe. The book remains a foundational text in academic circles for those studying the sociology of religion and the history of art.