| dc.description.abstract | This paper argues for a reinterpretation of madness and
mysticism through an apophatic lens. By using Wouter
Kusters' theo-philosophical definition of madness, I argue
for a re-evaluation of female mysticism which rethinks
ecstatic and ascetic devotion as a form of agency. Focusing
on The Book of Margery Kempe, I reconsider theological
passion and ground Kempe’s madness within the historical
tradition of affective piety, which expresses a desire to join
with the humanity of Christ. Within modern readership, there
has been an impulse to label Kempe and other mystics with
specific psychiatric diagnoses. In resisting this urge, I instead
argue for a convergence of madness and mysticism which
enables a paradoxical agency through negation of thought
and language. This apophatic agency is precisely what
imbues female mysticism with the potential for radical,
queer social resistance. In extending this discussion to issues
of fasting and abstinence, I then consider the role eucharistic
devotion plays in enabling women control over the gastro nomical and sexual parameters of their bodies. The denial of
food and sex becomes integral to Kempe’s mysticism in
asserting agency over the psychosexual self. Finally, I end
with some reflections on how Kempe’s mysticism might
influence contemporary discussions of mental health. | vi |
