Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0066-4309

Date Available

12-11-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School/Program

Hispanic Studies

Faculty

Mónica Díaz

Faculty

Alan Brown

Abstract

Purity of Blood Symbolism and Double Discourse in The Spiritual Diary of the Afro-Peruvian Donada Úrsula de Jesús

Through a close reading of The Spiritual Diary, this study examines how the Afro-Peruvian donada Úrsula de Jesús—whose experiences and visions were recorded and transcribed by a group of literate nuns in her convent—employs discursive strategies to dismantle the discourse of blood purity and reformulate the meaning of the blood. Drawing on the Christian belief that all humans are created equally in the image of God and redeemed through the blood of Christ as promised for universal salvation, Úrsula constructs an egalitarian argument that inverts the colonial order. Through this collaborative text, Úrsula and the nuns who transcribed her visions challenge the oppressive colonial system, facilitating the enactment of spiritual justice: the nuns and ecclesiastical authorities are punished and condemned, while people of African descent are spiritually vindicated. At the same time, Ursula and her scribes articulate a form of social justice that places the black subject on the same level as christians claiming “pure blood”. In doing so, the stigma of “impure blood”, which had previously excluded and labeled them as heretics, is transformed into a purified blood that grants access to salvation. The Spiritual Diary thus reveals both Úrsula’s agency and authority, as well as the collective female authorship of the nuns, whose transcription ensured the preservation and visibility of her voice within the colonial Catholic world.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.553

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