Mysticism and activism from a female perspective The Testimony of Dorothy Day (USA, 1897-1980)

Abstract

The first 50 years of the Twentieth century faced great social and political challenges. The development of industrial capitalism encountered many contradictions. The United States of America dealt with extreme polarization, unbalanced concentration of wages and wealth, and increasing poverty. The world was experiencing war on a global scale and rooted in technoscience. There were challenging times for everyone, especially for women, who were pushed from their position as queens of their homes, to face the trials of a society that organized itself through profit. Considered an example of sanctity, Dorothy Day offers a diary to believers, theologians, and religious scholars, which contains depictions of her spiritual itinerary, living through the difficulties of that period. Without embarrassment, she demonstrates that holiness is achieved by walking through many paths in life: directed and misdirected. Dorothy Day is a woman with open eyes to reality, deeply moved by anger in the face of the suffering of the poor - and whose spirituality deepens with each call of life. Her militant testimony reveals a profound spirituality, which is why she has been considered a contemporary mystic. Using exploratory bibliographic research, this article aims to contribute to the dissemination of this woman's writings (perhaps still little known in Brazil) and, in doing so, hopes to broaden the knowledge of the female presence in the field of religion.