Maternal Silences: Motherhood and Voluntary Childlessness in Contemporary Christianity
In Christianity, there is an ideology of motherhood that pervades scripture, ritual, and doctrine, yet there is an academic silence that means relatively little space has been given to motherhood and mothering, and even less to voluntary childlessness, from a faith perspective. By drawing on qualita...
1. VerfasserIn: | |
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Medienart: | Elektronisch Aufsatz |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Verfügbarkeit prüfen: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Veröffentlicht: |
Brill
[2016]
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In: |
Religion & gender
Jahr: 2016, Band: 6, Heft: 1, Seiten: 64-79 |
normierte Schlagwort(-folgen): | B
Christentum
/ Mutterschaft
/ Kinderlosigkeit
/ Rollenerwartung
/ Ausgrenzung
/ Geschichte 2011-2013
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RelBib Classification: | CB Christliche Existenz; Spiritualität FD Kontextuelle Theologie KAJ Kirchengeschichte 1914-; neueste Zeit NBE Anthropologie NCF Sexualethik |
weitere Schlagwörter: | B
voluntary childlessness
B Caroline Gatrell B Christianity B Motherhood B maternal silences B maternal bodies |
Online Zugang: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
Zusammenfassung: | In Christianity, there is an ideology of motherhood that pervades scripture, ritual, and doctrine, yet there is an academic silence that means relatively little space has been given to motherhood and mothering, and even less to voluntary childlessness, from a faith perspective. By drawing on qualitative in-depth interviews with Christian women living in Britain, narrating their experiences of motherhood and voluntary childlessness, I suggest there are also lived maternal silences encountered by women in contemporary Christianity. There is a maternal expectation produced through church teaching, liturgy and culture that constructs women as ‘maternal bodies’ (Gatrell 2008); this silences and marginalises women from articulating their complex relationship with religion, motherhood, and childlessness in ways that challenge their spiritual development. However, this article also introduces the everyday and intentional tactics women employ to disrupt the maternal expectation, and hereby interrupt the maternal silence. |
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ISSN: | 1878-5417 |
Enthält: | Enthalten in: Religion & gender
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.18352/rg.10131 |