RT Article
T1 The Maternal Body as a Space: Examining the Visuality of Marian Pregnancy in Late Medieval Europe
JF Open theology
VO 7
IS 1
SP 256
OP 270
A1 Andal, Aireen Grace
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1830009575
AB 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.
K1 Marian iconography
K1 Mary
K1 Body
K1 Maternity
K1 Space
DO 10.1515/opth-2020-0163