중세 그리스도교 여성금욕수행자들의 자기 부정과 지위 획득

Abstract

In most established religion, many women have been experiencing difficulties in exploring religious truth or practicing active roles as religious leaders. In sacred books or doctrines, women have been frequently regarded as negative or inferior beings to be controlled by men. In several cases, however, religious women have not remained passive giving up taking important part in religions. Rather, they find other ways to do central activities and take important status in religions. The ascetic practices of the medieval Christian women in Europe are good examples to show women's efforts to manage religious life on their own. By doing severe self-negation, ascetic women could acquire new religious status freed from the typical women's roles in the field of physical, social, and religious positions. Their practices were not focused on denying their being women but utilized womanhood to accomplish ideal life as Christian women.