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Of Immodest Acts: The Life Of A Lesbian Nun In Renaissance Italian

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Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy by Judith C. Brown is an intriguing and profusely detailed tale of Sister Benedetta Calini, also known as the Abbess of the Convent of the Mother of God, who reflects the escalation and the collapse of an authoritative woman in a religious society, and gives an initial record of lesbianism in European history. In this critique of Judith C. Brown’s, Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, I will analyze her reason for writing the novel, her use of data, and her diction. Judith’s reason for writing this tale was to present how some women that were placed in the convent during the seventeenth century had authority, and let it get the best of them. She also presented …show more content…

While she was writing, she ended up finding more documents about other nuns that I have attempted to gain the same power Benedetta had achieved. Saints like Maria de la Visitacion from Lisbon had shared the same outer body experiences during the sixteenth century that Benedetta had, but was revealed to be scam artist (pg. 73). Brown demonstrated in that text how most of the nuns or women that worked for the Lord were looking to noticed from under the shadows of the Father. That case brought up the discussion among the church and the public about if Benedetta was a scam artist or a true visionary that God used. In chapters four the chancellor of Pescia, Stefano Cecchi was called to question Benedetta about her visions and inspect her body of the marks that were left (pg. 75). I loved how Brown illustrated Stefano’s examined the crucifix marks on her body, giving me, the reader, an inside look at if it was happening today in the present (pg. 78). Furthermore, in the fifth chapter “The Second Investigation” Stefano uncovered the relationship between Benedetta and Bartolomea, when Bartolomea testifies against Benedetta. Benedetta would have sexual relations with Bartolomea after her visons, which were revealed as being demonic

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