Caminhos e invenções da santidade feminina em Portugal nos séculos XVII e XVIII : Alguns, dados, problemas e sugestões

Resumo

This work draws on available data and factual examples (particularly from the feminine social  sphere) to establish the relationship  between, on the one hand, a growing search for sanctity during the XVII century and the first half of the XVIII, and, on the other hand, the proclamation of silent prayer and contemplation which should be practised  by  the secular world. Due to these circumstances and concurrent fear of degradation  of spiritual life, we try to describe in this research work the need felt in that period to warn,  identify and repress the ecclesiastical authorities  responsible for the promotion of "true sanctity" and persecution of the "false one", stressing  that, in spite of the important role played in social  life by a growing number of "intercessors" and ''beatified persons", time did not create an autonomous and  specific  lay  spirituality,  but  instead  the continuous appeal  for religious and cloistral models prevailed.