Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Tracy, Elizabeth Adele
Author's Email Address	liztracy1979@aol.com
URN	etd-04052005-030406
Title	Divine Women in Santeria: Healing with a Gendered Self
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	Religion, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title John Corrigan Committee Chair Amanda Porterfield Committee Member Amy Koehlinger Committee Member
Keywords	Luce Irigaray Gender Healing Santeria
Date of Defense	2005-03-30
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract This paper addresses the formation of gender identity through the presence of female deities and related mythology. Using the theory developed by Luce Irigaray in “Divine Women”, it proposes that women need a religious mythology that includes complex females in order to create a whole self and to build a healthy society. In order to demonstrate an example of this theory, the paper examines the way that divine women are created in the stories of Santeria as well as how through ritual, female (and male) practitioners gain a better sense of self; they are able to become divine women through their human characteristics, are able to heal through an enhanced intimacy with the deities and through a deeper connection to their selves, their bodies and their environment.
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