I Have a Divine Herstory
Mary Pat Henehan
Routledge eBooks October 24, 2018 DOI: 10.4324/9781315809236-15 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Six historical and contemporary women: Etty Hillesum, Käthe Kollwitz, Caroline Stephen, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, and Ita Ford |
| Key findings | Argues that six women—Etty Hillesum, Käthe Kollwitz, Caroline Stephen, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, and Ita Ford—used self-expression to build community and create hope in dark times, integrating the human and divine. Käthe Kollwitz did so through black-and-white prints valuing line and gesture; Julian of Norwich through sixteen 'showings' of God's love, representing feminine teaching and insight rare in Christian traditions; Teresa of Avila as a mystical teacher and poet whose authority, per Robert Ellsberg, rested on private visions. |
Abstract
This chapter presents a case study of Etty Hillesum, Kathe Kollwitz, Caroline Stephen, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila and Ita Ford. All six of these women used their talents of self-expression to build up community and to create hope in times of darkness, giving witness to the power of the integration of the human and the divine. Kathe Kollwitz shone through her expression of art. She used black and white in her prints and drawings because she believed in the power of line and gesture. Saint Teresa was a teacher of mystical doctrine and a poet. Robert Ellsberg summarizes Teresa’s life as a woman and a reformer who based her authority on private visions. Julian of Norwich wrote sixteen “showings” or revelations of God’s love and made a significant contribution to Catholic spirituality. Writing about the central problems of the spiritual life, Julian represented the feminine teacher and feminine insight that are rare in Christian traditions.