Authenticity and Double Trouble

Nancy, a follower of Jecintho from a lower-caste Hindu-Christian family, claims also to be possessed by Mātā and exhibits stigmata. This chapter examines Nancy’s story and her circumstances, as well as the dismissal of her claims by Rosalind and her community at the Our Lady of Jecintho Prayer House. What do Nancy’s and Rosalind’s competing claims mean about authenticity and agency? Caste, gender, and family roles appear to influence Nancy’s possession as she tries to decide whether or not to enter an arranged marriage, and she seems to be ambivalent about sex. Nancy is also influenced by her charismatic Catholic upbringing and by local cultural tropes.

Aesthetics · Ambivalence · Art · Caste · Dismissal · Genealogy · Hinduism · Political science · Possession (linguistics) · Prayer · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Gender Studies · History · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Religious studies