Fabricating Religion: the Theological Significance of Sartorial Imagery in Juana De La Cruz’S (1481-1534) El Conhorte
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FABRICATING RELIGION: THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SARTORIAL IMAGERY IN JUANA DE LA CRUZ’S (1481-1534) EL CONHORTE Anne-Shirley Harford A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Romance Studies Chapel Hill 2019 Approved by: Frank Domínguez Lucia Binotti Jessica Boon Carmen Hsu Rosa Perelmuter © 2019 Anne-Shirley Harford ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Anne-Shirley Harford: Fabricating Religion: The Theological Significance of Sartorial Imagery in Juana de la Cruz’s (1481-1534) El Conhorte (Under the direction of Frank A. Domínguez) Mother Juana de la Cruz (1481-1534) is a fascinating female mystic whose preaching marks an important step in the development of Marian devotion under Queen Isabel I. With the support of important religious figures such as Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, a Franciscan like Juana, her visionary experience gained widespread fame both inside and outside the convent of Santa María de la Cruz in Cubas. Fabricating Religion examines Juana’s use of sartorial imagery within El Conhorte—a collection of seventy-two of Juana’s “sermones” dictated by one of the members of the nunnery, Sor María Evangelista. It analyzes two key elements in the sermons—the theology and the materiality of dress images, and their connections to the cultural and religious praxis of the period. Juana employs sartorial imagery repeatedly when treating such theologically complex topics as Jesus’ Incarnation, Mary’s Immaculate Conception, and Mary’s role in Redemption, Salvation and Intercession. The sumptuous aesthetic detail with which she describes their state of dress or undress advances the ever-evolving role of Mary by crafting an image of a divinized Mother Mary and an altogether humanized Christ. iii To Joel, my best friend and the love of my life. I never would have attempted this without your encouragement and support. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have dedicated this dissertation to my wonderful husband, Joel. I did not think I would ever see the day of its completion, but you always believed in me. Through pregnancies, comprehensive exams and lesson planning, you encouraged me every step of the way. I am incredibly grateful for your support and for your sense of humor that helped me gain perspective. I am also grateful for our two little boys—Judson and Titus—that God has blessed us with since I embarked on this Ph.D. They have added immeasurable joy to this entire journey and I would not trade them for the world. And to our third boy, Baxter, who is on the way, I look forward to meeting you soon! I am grateful for my sister and best friend, Denise, who inspired me with the idea to analyze clothing in the first place. Our years living together in the apartment during my M.A. program will always be some of my fondest memories. To my parents, thank you for instilling in me a love for learning at a young age. I hope you are proud of this accomplishment. To my family members that supported me in this endeavor, I am very grateful. Linda, thank you for giving me time to research and write. Your help was invaluable. Several of my dear friends have been a tremendous support to me during these years: Emily Loch, Kathryn McKee and Holly Sims. Emily, I have treasured our phone conversations. Thank you for being a sounding board for me as I have processed through all of this and for always offering such wonderful words of wisdom. Our friendship was forged in the fire of M.A. v Comps, and I have such warm memories of our times together. Kathryn, it was sweet providence that placed us together in Kenan Dorm so many years ago. You are a dear friend to me and I have been encouraged and challenged by the way you have set out to pursue your own dreams. Thank you for being such a true friend to me all these years. Holly, I am so glad you decided to come to UNC for your Ph.D. I cannot believe that we are actually finishing together! Having completed my undergraduate, masters, and now my doctorate at UNC-Chapel Hill, I have spent over a decade at this wonderful university. There are many professors and advisors that have helped shape me, and I could not possibly mention them all or adequately acknowledge their impact on my academic formation. Had Professor Emilio del Valle Escalante not suggested that I apply for UNC’s graduate program in Spanish Literature, I never would have even considered it as an option. Thank you for seeing potential in me. Dr. Glynis Cowell has been a rich source of encouragement and wisdom throughout the entirety of this program. I am so grateful to you and to Dr. Josefa Lindquist for guiding me as an instructor. I want to acknowledge Professor Jessica Boon for being such a kind mentor to me. In addition to being a wonderful scholar, I am always overwhelmed by how approachable and helpful you are. To Professor Sam Amago, the department is not the same without you. Of my entire graduate career, your course was by far my favorite. You first introduced me to the term “sartorial” and I must admit that I have grown quite tired of it after working on this dissertation. I am also grateful to Professors Rosa Perelmuter, Lucia Binotti and Carmen Hsu for their contributions to this project. I am thankful to Dr. Frank Domínguez. I still remember sitting in your office when you mentioned El Conhorte to me as a clueless first-year M.A. student who had an interest in vi Mariology. Thank you for seeing potential in me and for challenging me to realize that potential. I am grateful for your guidance. Last but not least, I am grateful to God for sustaining me, not only during this doctoral program, but also throughout my entire life. Soli Deo gloria. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: CLOTHING: A MATERIAL METAPHOR WITH SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE ..................................................................... 1 Mother Juana de la Cruz (1481-1534) ..................................................................... 4 Mariology and Cisnerian Spirituality under the Catholic Monarchs ....................... 8 Critical Literature on Mother Juana ....................................................................... 12 Methodology: A Material and Theological Approach .......................................... 15 The Pauline Dress Metaphor ................................................................................. 27 CHAPTER 2: THE FASHIONING OF A MYSTIC .................................................................... 34 Clothing as (Self) Fashioning ................................................................................ 34 Sor María Evangelista ........................................................................................... 36 Clothing as Autonomy and Authority ................................................................... 41 From the Sartorial to the Theological .................................................................... 46 The Fabric of Franciscan Theology ....................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 3: (AD)DRESSING CHRIST: THE DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST .............................................................................. 63 The Doctrine of the Incarnation in the Franciscan Tradition ................................ 63 Mary’s Flesh as Clothing for the Incarnate Christ ................................................ 65 Clothing Christ’s Frail Human Flesh ..................................................................... 75 Adorned in Suffering, Crowned in Thorns ............................................................ 77 Bloody Headdresses and Handkerchiefs ............................................................... 84 viii CHAPTER 4: IMMACULATE CLOTHING, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: THE DOCTRINE OF MARY’S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ..................... 93 The Development of the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception ........................ 93 Without Stain ....................................................................................................... 102 Naked, Yet Clothed ............................................................................................. 113 CHAPTER 5: MARY, MANTLE OF MERCY AND CROWN OF HEAVEN THE DOCTRINE OF MARY’S ROLE IN REDEMPTION AND INTERCESSION ................................................................................................. 121 Mary as Intercessor in Devotion and Iconography .............................................. 121 Mary’s Mantle—“Abogada” and “Abrigo” of Sinners ....................................... 126 Crowns Fit for a Queen ....................................................................................... 132 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 150 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 158 ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CLOTHING: A MATERIAL METAPHOR WITH SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE “It reminds me of an early renaissance fashion magazine.” This remark made by Jessica Boon, renowned religious studies scholar, was the catalyst for the entire project. Although tongue-in-cheek, her observation resonated with me. We were discussing Juana de la Cruz's early-16th century collection of sermons called El Conhorte, and her words raised an important question in my mind. In the work, Juana depicts in detail the ornate