The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe
This work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary’s pregnancy is located and spatialized in Christianity. Through examining selected medieval Ma...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Open Theology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0163 |
| _version_ | 1818744801562984448 |
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| author | Andal Aireen Grace |
| author_facet | Andal Aireen Grace |
| author_sort | Andal Aireen Grace |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary’s pregnancy is located and spatialized in Christianity. Through examining selected medieval Marian iconography, this work discusses what kind of space Mary’s body represents in the Christian doctrine. Analysis shows three central themes on the characterization of the maternal body as a space: (1) as a transitional space, (2) as a landmark, and (3) as a liminal space. The images of Marian pregnancy show that the maternal body is beyond its biological purpose in the Bible, but serves as a space that enables various interactions and spiritual events. The examination of Mary’s maternal body as a space offers an alternative perspective to discuss Mary’s character as a point of interface for Christian doctrines, biblical periods, and the Scriptures. In many ways, understanding Mary’s maternal body as a space speaks about the complexities and unveiled aspects of maternity’s role in religion. This work hopes to spark further discussions on how the maternal body intersects with spatiality in the context of religion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T02:50:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-accd7d727d3149d2921ccc17f4508640 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-6579 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T02:50:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-accd7d727d3149d2921ccc17f45086402022-12-21T21:23:29ZengDe GruyterOpen Theology2300-65792021-07-017125627010.1515/opth-2020-0163The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval EuropeAndal Aireen Grace0Department of Social Philosophy, Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia B N Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russian FederationThis work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary’s pregnancy is located and spatialized in Christianity. Through examining selected medieval Marian iconography, this work discusses what kind of space Mary’s body represents in the Christian doctrine. Analysis shows three central themes on the characterization of the maternal body as a space: (1) as a transitional space, (2) as a landmark, and (3) as a liminal space. The images of Marian pregnancy show that the maternal body is beyond its biological purpose in the Bible, but serves as a space that enables various interactions and spiritual events. The examination of Mary’s maternal body as a space offers an alternative perspective to discuss Mary’s character as a point of interface for Christian doctrines, biblical periods, and the Scriptures. In many ways, understanding Mary’s maternal body as a space speaks about the complexities and unveiled aspects of maternity’s role in religion. This work hopes to spark further discussions on how the maternal body intersects with spatiality in the context of religion.https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0163marymarian iconographymaternityspacebody |
| spellingShingle | Andal Aireen Grace The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe Open Theology mary marian iconography maternity space body |
| title | The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe |
| title_full | The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe |
| title_fullStr | The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe |
| title_short | The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe |
| title_sort | maternal body as a space examining the visuality of marian pregnancy in late medieval europe |
| topic | mary marian iconography maternity space body |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0163 |
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