Mulheres, espiritualidade e relações institucionais de poder no século XIII: uma comparação entre Clara de Assis e outras lideranças

Abstract

The 13th century saw the emergence of new trends in religious life and spirituality as ecclesiastical institutions sought to consolidate their authority and expand the extent of their power. In this context, the debate about the positions that could be occupied by laypeople and clerics within the dynamics of power gained prominence. As a kind of quintessential representative of the laity, given the interdiction to the priesthood, women had their trajectories and expectations of religious action constituted in the midst of, and in relation to, these networks of authority. This research seeks to understand how institutional relationships of power influenced the possibilities and limitations of the development of women's religious communities throughout the 13th century. To this end, we have chosen as our main case study that of Clare of Assisi (+1253), leader of the community of San Damiano and considered by tradition to be the initiator of the female branch of Franciscanism. In order to deepen the analysis and observe nuances, we established a comparison with three other cases of women who developed a form of spirituality considered innovative in the period: Mary of Oignies (†1213), Guglielma of Milan (†1281-2) / Maifreda da Pirovano (†1300) and Marguerite Porete (†1310). This choice of cases is also associated with a time frame that covers the period from the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) to the Council of Vienna (1311), in an attempt to draw up an overview of the normatization of the religious life of women who lived during this century.