초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Women's religious Autobiographies serve as important materials to look into certain circumstances and processes in which women became to be religiously awakened and to realize their calling as religious leaders. Certainly, autobiographical writing is not merely record of what really happened but reconstructed narrative, in which the writer attempts to imbue his(her) whole life with a sense of coherence and in doing so, to explain or legitimate what he/she became to be at present. Especially for laywomen whose religious calling is easily ignored and oppressed by religious authorities, autobiographical writing remains as one of the few channels for them to let their voice be heard. This paper centered on the autobiographical writings of two Korean Catholic laywomen, Theresa Hwang and Julia Youn who played an leading part in popularizing devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary in Korean Catholic Church, gathering followers around them as well as meeting with strong opposition from Korean Church. While the lives of these women have a lot in common, their sense of "suffering" is so intense, that it needs close scrutiny. Firstly, these women's experience of violence/violation on their body is traced. Secondly. it is described, how the suffering/trauma caused by their formal experiences turn into religious meaningful one after their mystical experience, and how physical suffering is actively used by them as an essential medium to communicate and to be unified with the divine beings (the Jesus and the Virgin Mary). Lastly, it is discussed what the body or physical suffering/ascetism means for women in a soteriological sense. To bring this theme in the broader context, discussion on Medieval female mystics is taken into consideration.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
women's autobiographical writing, women's mystical experience, body, suffering, experience of violence, Korean Catholic Laywomen, Catholic mysticism, Medieval female mystics, sacred blood
