The letters of Abelard and Héloïse detail the relationship between Abelard and Héloïse, whose relationship is, from a personal point of view, tragic at best. This article will explore the relationship between Abelard and Héloïse through their correspondence and demonstrate how Abelard and Héloïse perceive the societal roles of women in a patriarchal Christian society, how Héloïse is able to negotiate the constraints placed on her gender by society, and how this is reflected in the letters of Abelard and Héloïse. Pierre Abelard was born around 1079 and Abelard was "one of the most original minds of his time, that the medieval university of Paris was born from his fame as a teacher and that his theological views brought him into conflict with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux” (Introduction xiii). Héloïse was also an educated woman and eager to learn, "her keen intellect can clearly analyze herself and her problem, but the feeling behind the words is passionate and painful" (Introduction xxxi). The love story of the two is reflected in a series of letters (The Letters of Abelard and Héloïse, letters 2 to 8), they were as intelligent as they were religious. "Both men are representative of the best of their times in their classical knowledge and manner of expression, in their passionate interest in issues of faith and morality, and in their devotion to the Christian Church which governed their life” (Introduction xiii). In the time of Abelard and Heloise (in the 12th century), religion and education were still closely linked and linked to each other. Although respect for the clergy was more strongly emphasized, "everyone also knows that the divine benefits of the sacraments administered in the church are attributed particularly to the effective...... middle of paper...... s...a woman must understand that if she marries a rich man more easily than a poor one, and desires her husband more for his goods than for himself, she is offering herself for sale” (Letter 2, 52-53) . Throughout Abelard and Héloïse's correspondence in The Letters of Abelard and Héloïse, their discussions of virginity, fornication, punishment for sins, and relationships with God and the clergy highlight the roles societal problems of women in patriarchal Christian society. The letters of Abelard and Héloïse, in particular the letters of Héloïse, help to shed light on the constraints imposed on women by religious and social bonds in the 12th century, particularly with regard to marriage and virginity, as well as how patriarchal Christian society contributed to making 12th century women seem more like second-class citizens compared to their male counterparts.