Building Bonds
The Imperatives of Vulnerability: Learning from Wounds in Caravaggio's Depictions of Christ
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Fannie Bialek
Contemporary feminist research on vulnerability bears a striking resemblance to Christian theological discussions of the vulnerability of Christ. This paper examines these similarities through Caravaggio's depictions of vulnerability and wounds in dialogue with the work of Adriana Cavarero and Judith Butler on vulnerability. It argues for an understanding of vulnerability as part of a process of learning from wounds that is sometimes marked by emotional incredulity, an expression of doubt or denial of what one knows to be true because of the way its realization feels. Emotional incredulity in these circumstances is not a denial of vulnerability that pretends to mastery, but one that expresses the challenge of learning how much we do not know of ourselves.
Surviving a Tragic Ailment : A New Lens into the History of Conversion
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rachel Cope
D. Bruce Hindmarsh’s described conversion as the process of “recovery of right relationship with God.” These resonated with me as a budding scholar whose research focused on women's conversion experiences. It also resonated with me as a person of faith who felt committed to this process of relational recovery. As a scholar and a professor, I have continued to ponder the meaning and impact of conversion on individuals and communities. I research conversion, write about conversion, and teach my classes through the lens of conversion. In 2019, my world turned upside down. A complicated surgery went amiss, and I joined the ranks of approximately two to three million women, primarily in developing nations, who suffer from vesicovaginal fistula—a tragic ailment resulting in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence. As loss and suffering seeped into every crevice of my life, as I encountered the rawness that comes with devastating loss, as feelings of utter vulnerability consumed me, my understanding of mortality and conversion took on additional meaning. In this study, I consider how historical research combined with my own life challenges have revealed to me deep interconnections between loss and conversion—my personal context has enriched how I see historical events, the kinds of questions I ask, and how I read and interpret sources. I see things I didn’t see before; I recognize things I once overlooked. I thus reflect upon how personal suffering has complicated and given more meaning to my historical work on women and religious conversion.
Creating Together: Vulnerable Aesthetics of Solidarity
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hillary Bylund
Consciences malformed by colonialism and white supremacy require both affective and intellectual transformation: changed hearts as well as - and sometimes even preceding - a changed minds are vital components of positive social change. In conversation with Bryan Massingale's theological ethic of conscience formation and drawing from participant observation and ethnographic interviews of several artists engaged in solidarity movements in New York City, this paper explores the vulnerable process of aesthetic creation and its role in fostering affective bonds of love that promote social justice.
