Exemplarity in Golden Age Spanish and Colonial Nuns and Mystics

Abstract

This dissertation looks at the lives and writings of four nuns and mystics within the Spanish Empire during the early modern or colonial era (1500-1700): Santa Teresa de Ávila, Venerable María de Ágreda and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and Santa Rosa de Lima. Each chapter covers a specific individual and her contribution to the themes of spirituality/mysticism, gender, colonization/Indigeneity, and censorship/expression amidst the Inquisition. The study shows how these women were able to maneuver through the societal limitations and leave a lasting impact on the Church and Spanish and Latin American culture. The dissertation argues that the concept of exemplarity played an important role in their lives and writings in order to establish precedence for women to pursue their interests by imitating other women. The study helps understand the theological contributions made by women during this time in Spanish history.