Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Philosophy and Religion

Additional Departmental Affiliation

Psychology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Late fourteenth, early fifteenth-century mystic Margery Kempe (1373 ca. 1439) was an extraordinary lay Christian who sought spiritual perfection-sand did so outside the confines of traditional religious orders. However, understanding Kempe's quest is, as evidenced by scholars having classified her as everything from a hysteric, anorexic, heretic, or self-centered egocentric to a revered saint. Kempe's life cannot be exclusively categorized into anyone of these classifications. Instead, she was on a general quest to understand the suffering of Christ. Her life pursuits may well be illustrated by using the broader psychoanalytical term spiritual perfection. This thesis examines the effects of this behavior on her.

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

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