Souls of Purgatory: The Spiritual Diary of a Seventeenth-Century Afro-Peruvian Mystic, Ursula De Jesus (Dialogos (Paperback)) (Diálogos) - Softcover

Jesus, Ursula De

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0826328288 ISBN 13: 9780826328281

Publisher: University of New Mexico Press, 2004

Synopsis

The life of the black religious servant Ursula de Jesus (1604-1666) has remained one of the best-kept historical secrets of the New World. This English language translation of the diary she began in 1650 allows us to hear the voice of the former slave turned spiritualist. Born into slavery in Lima, Peru, Ursula entered a convent at the age of thirteen to serve a nun, and spent the next twenty-eight years as one of hundreds of slaves whose exhausting daily work afforded little time to contemplate religious matters. After surviving a potentially fatal accident, she chose a spiritual path, though remained a slave until one of the nuns purchased her freedom. Ursula began to see visions and communicate more frequently with God. Dead souls eager to diminish their stay in Purgatory approached her, and it was then that she assumed the role of intercessor on their behalf. Ursula's diary conveys the innuendoes of convent life, but above all it offers a direct experience of baroque Catholic spirituality from the perspective of a woman of colour. Nancy E. van Deusen selected approximately fifty pages from Ursula's diary to appear here as Ursula wrote them, in Spanish. Van Deusen's introduction situates Ursula's text within the milieu of medieval and early modern female spirituality, addresses the complexities of racial inequality, and explores the power of the written word.

About this title

Review

"This book is fascinating...a valuable asset to colonial Latin American Literature."

"This book offers fascinating insight into the Roman Catholic Church's role in the 17th-century slave trade and its harsh views of race and gender. As for de Jess, she comes across as a woman of great wisdom and deep spirit who never turned bitter but who embraced the power of a greater humanity through an unshakeable faith. Her story should be read and savored."

About the Author

Nancy E van Deusen is associate professor of history at Western Washington University, Bellingham.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0826328288
• ISBN 13: 9780826328281
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232
• Editor: Van Deusen Nancy E.