Abstract
AbstractThis 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.
Highlights
This work recasts the maternal body as a space that serves as a point of reference in religious terms
Works in theology recognize the value of artworks since “religious images have a religious significance that cannot be replaced by the word.”[13]. Visual narratives in Mariology serve as aid to scriptural information about Mary.[14]
It is the maternal body that hosts the “central event on which the faith is founded: God’s flesh-taking or incarnation.”[37]. In The Virgin Weaving (Image 1) the unborn body of Christ is represented as a complete human body, which drives a theological point of divine deviation from the mortal temporal limitations
Summary
This work recasts the maternal body as a space that serves as a point of reference in religious terms. Works in theology recognize the value of artworks since “religious images have a religious significance that cannot be replaced by the word.”[13] Visual narratives in Mariology serve as aid to scriptural information about Mary.[14] the images of Mary’s maternal body offer an alternative perspective to discuss Mary’s character as a point of interface between Christian doctrines and biblical periods. As a guide to analyzing selected Marian images, this work draws from the biblical scriptures, religious texts, and academic literature to substantiate the discussions of Mary’s body and its role in Christianity. This work argues that Marian representations are indicative of the importance of maternity in religious affairs, suggesting a focus on the maternal body to further understand Christianity and women in the Bible. “The Theology,” 155. de Haardt, “Visual Narratives.” Hodne, The Virginity of the Virgin, 10
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