El mundo religioso femenino en el tiempo ignaciano. Inquietudes, acciones y propuestas de renovación

Abstract

The female religious world in the Ignatian era. Concerns, actions and renewal proposals

The aim of this paper is to review the feminine religious world during the days of Ignatius of Loyola, paying attention to the concerns, actions and proposals raised by women during the time when Ignatius’ ideas appeared and matured, and when the reasoning behind them is found. We refer to the pre-Tridentine historical context, a time very lively in demands for reforms and in trends of spiritual renewal, mobilized to a large extent “from below”, not directly driven by ecclesiastical hierarchies. That same historical time of change, in which Ignatius’ response was outlined, received female responses too. Women were also involved, and a variety of expressions and ideas for the renewal of religious life arose from them. Their proposals cannot be perceived in terms of marginality, as has been stated from a history of institutionalist perspectives, nor can they be confined to the field of heterodox expressions, which existed, but were by no means the only ones that occurred. We intend to draw a synthetic overview that encompasses some of the most relevant proposals for female participation and mobilization in the religious space during that Ignatian era which was open to new horizons.