Catholic Nuns and Embraced Motherhood

A Study on Virginal Maternal Dialectics in Selected Autobiographical Narratives from Kerala, India

Bibliographic Data

ID6448469
AuthorsJosiya P Shaju (0000-0003-2665-5745, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology), Soni Joseph (0000-0002-3768-4261, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology), Jyotsna Sinha (0000-0002-2230-6807, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology)
Year2025
Pages1-23
Publication date2025-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligion and Gender (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1878-5417 • E-ISSN: 2589-8051
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1163/18785417-bja10022
OpenAlexW4411973355
LanguageEN
References cited18

Motherhood, often equated with biological childbirth, extends beyond mere procreation to encompass nurturing, caregiving, and transformative relationships. This paper extends traditional notions of motherhood by examining how Catholic nuns redefine maternal roles through their autobiographical writings. Drawing on Julia Kristeva’s concept of ‘virginal maternal’, the paper highlights how nuns navigate the tensions between submission and resistance within patriarchal ecclesiastical structures. The paper explores the autobiographical texts by Catholic nuns from Kerala, India, and analyses how nuns assert their agency and craft narratives that empower them and amplify their voices in spaces where they have historically been marginalized. The autobiographical texts explore themes of mother-daughter bonds, relational motherhood among nuns, spiritual motherhood, and virgin motherhood. By engaging with these themes, the paper underscores how autobiographical narratives serve as acts of liberation and agency, enabling nuns to challenge traditional gender norms and reimagine their roles. These narratives do more than recount personal histories; rather, they construct counter-publics, offering a profound redefinition of motherhood and womanhood within and beyond the Church

Sociology · Early Modern Women Writers

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access