This article has been subjected to double blind peer review

This article has been published in: Ocula 31, Semiotics and the representation of holiness: methodological reflections and case studies

author: María Luisa Solís Zepeda (Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico)

About Normative Sanctities and Dissident Spiritualities

language: english

abstract: This work provides an overview into the semiotic study of Spanish mysticism (Golden Age), and distinguishes between normative mysticism, characterized by adherence to established canon and literary tradition, and another one, which deviates from the norm, particularly in the context of mysticism in New Spain. The paper discusses the
case of beatas, women who were often at odds with ecclesiastical authorities due to their unconventional experiences and practices. These spiritual anomalies that germinated since that century grew exponentially towards the 20th century, so much that today religious practices and spiritualities in Mexico often seem to be made “à la carte”, some even associated with criminal lifestyles. These lines expose the challenges faced
by a semiotician, especially one inclined towards structural semiotics, in analyzing religious manifestations and emphasize some methodological and interdisciplinary problems.

citation information: María Luisa Solís Zepeda, About Normative Sanctities and Dissident Spiritualities, "Ocula", vol.25, n.31, pp.75-87, December 2024. DOI: 10.57576/ocula2024-30

Ocula.it publishes articles and essays in semiotic research, with a particular eye on communication and culture; it is open to dialogue with other research fields and welcomes contributions from all the areas of the social and human sciences. See the Editorial Board and the Editorial Committee.