Kristeva's Thérèse: Mysticism and Modernism
Carol Mastrangelo Bové
Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy May 31, 2013 DOI: 10.5195/jffp.2013.567 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that Kristeva's Thérèse mon amour contributes to understanding Catholic mysticism's impact on Western categories of women, particularly through Thérèse's mysticism and the modernist use of a feminine figure to subvert practices threatening psychic and social vitality. The essay also contends that Kristeva's psychoanalytic approach to Catholicism raises questions about stereotypes it may feed, especially that of the masochistic woman. |
Abstract
This essay focuses on Julia Kristeva’s recent volume Thérèse mon amour: Sainte Thérèse d’Avila (2008), describing and placing this blend of novel, play, psychoanalytic cultural theory, and case history in the context of her work. I argue that the volume contributes to an understanding of religion’s impact—especially Catholic mysticism--on Western categories of women. I address in particular Thérèse’s mysticism and modernist use of a feminine figure to subvert practices threatening the vitality of the psyche and of social relations. As in Kristeva’s earlier writing, her psychoanalytic approach to Catholicism’s influence continues to raise questions concerning the apparent stereotypes the approach may feed, especially that of the masochistic woman.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |