Las sepultadas vivas. El rol de género en el monacato femenino.Aproximación antropológica a los conventos de clausura femeninos de la Diócesis de Coria-Cáceres

Abstract

Theology, from its origins to nowadays practically has been designed and transmitted from the male perspective. The Church has reflected and perpetuated the subordinate, dependent, submissive position that society has historically reserved for women, far from reflection and decision space. We consider, as a first hypothesis of this research, the female convent life has served, among other reasons, to hide the woman; although from different ecclesial forums have valued the role of nuns through his contemplative life (pray for the world), no one can question that as they have been out of society and they have been away from the organs of decision of the Church. In the aim of arguing our hypothesis, we have visited six monasteries that currently exist contemplative life in the diocese of Coria-Caceres: four in the city of Caceres, one in the town of Coria, and another in Garrovillas. In all, 85 women, of different ages and countries of origin, with different rules and regulations that govern their constitutions, which have allowed us to explore different aspects of his monastic life, from gender perspective: time, space, communication, votes , rites of passage, hierarchical organization, work, prayer ... Thus, starting from a hypothetical-deductive method, we tried to pass from the general to the particular: the questioning the role of women in the Church, origin and configuration of female monastic life, to the analysis of various aspects of the convents we have visited (from a gender perspective) through the entrance in six cloistered convents.