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Abbie Reese
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Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns (Oxford Oral History Series) 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Abbie Reese (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 72
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As a subculture, cloistered monastic nuns live hidden from public view by choice. Once a woman joins the cloister and makes final vows, she is almost never seen and her voice is not heard; her story is essentially nonexistent in the historical record and collective, public history.

From interviews conducted over six years, Abbie Reese tells the stories of the Poor Clare Colettine Order, a cloistered contemplative order at the Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford, Illinois. Seldom leaving their 25,000-square-foot gated enclosure, members of this community embrace an extreme version of poverty and anonymity - a separation that enables them to withdraw from the world to devote their lives to prayer. This removal, they contend, allows them to have a greater impact on humanity than if they maintained direct contact with loved ones and strangers.
Dedicated to God explores individual and cultural identity through oral history interviews with several generations of nuns, focusing on the origins and life stories of the women who have chosen to become members of one of the strictest religious orders. But the narrative is also one of a collective memory and struggle against extinction and modernity, a determination to create community within the framework of ancient rules.
The author's stunning photographs of their dual worlds, religious and quotidian, add texture to the narrative.
This artistic and ethnographic work highlights the countercultural values and dedication of individuals who, at incredible personal cost, live for love of God and humanity, out of faith in what cannot be seen, and with the belief that they will be rewarded in the afterlife.
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  1. Edition
    1st
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  4. Publication date
    December 5, 2013
  5. Part of series
    Oxford Oral History Series
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    4383 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Reese is not Catholic. But that did not stop her from spending seven years documenting the devotion of the Poor Clare Colettine Order nuns of the Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford, Illinois. Personal accounts and black-and-white photos reveal a restricted existence that is both unsettling and rewarding beyond measure. From behind steel grillwork that one young visitor describes as “the Jesus cage,” the nuns open up, revealing ordinary and sometimes privileged past lives. As novitiates, they must commit to living in a 25,000-square-foot enclosure and accepting only limited contact with family members. Reese portrays their difficult path: while the rest of the world sleeps, these women keep watch on the world, awakening at midnight for the first of seven daily prayers. A fascinating read, this book lifts the veil of mystery surrounding women who forsake contact with the outside world to become brides of Christ. --Susan DeGrane

Review

"That is another one of monasticism's surprises: where the world expects sorrow, the cloistered feel joy. Reese's attentiveness and patience allows that joy to reveal itself." --The New Yorker
"A fascinating read, this book lifts the veil of mystery surrounding women who forsake contact with the outside world to become brides of Christ." -- Booklist

"[A] fascinating peek into a life that is often misunderstood and rarely subject to this type of scrutiny" --Library Journal

"Here is holiness that does not lose sight of humanity - for how joyfully the Poor Clares can be seen in these moments. Abbie Reese's imagery shares the evocative light emblematic of Dutch master painters; she reveals a subject that is both richly spiritual as well as handsomely grounded in the most fascinating moments of secular time." --Anthony Bannon, Director, Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State, and emeritus director, George Eastman House

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GN82X4Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (December 5, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 5, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4383 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 259 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0199947937
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 72

About the author

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Abbie Reese

Abbie Reese

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Abbie Reese is an independent scholar and interdisciplinary artist who utilizes oral history and ethnographic methodologies to explore individual and cultural identity. She received an MFA in visual arts from the University of Chicago and was a fellow at the Columbia University Oral History Research Office Summer Institute. Her multimedia exhibit, Erased from the Landscape: The Hidden Lives of Cloistered Nuns, has been shown in galleries and museums and she has presented her work at academic conferences internationally. She has traveled in approximately forty countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa; her retreat is a house, built in 1888, that she renovated in Northwest Illinois.

www.abbiereese.com

www.facebook.com/OxfordDedicatedthebook

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
72 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

DPW
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent look into the cloister.
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Well written book, first-hand stories right from the nuns themselves. I've always been fascinated at how some women chose the cloistered life over the Actives. This book gave me a better understanding of their "Call."
One person found this helpful
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Meggie
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully Interpreted Stories of the Cloistered Nuns.
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2017
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It is a world most of us have failed to understand. Abbie Reese, in her extensive research of the cloistered nuns, presents stories told to her by a few of them. Her hard work certainly gives the reader cause to pause. I have a personal story to tell regarding this. In a nutshell, I located a dear friend from years ago, thanks to this book, which I stumbled on by chance. She is one of the women Abbie presents in her book. For over 50 years, I did not know where she went when she decided to join a cloister, until I read her story in the book.. Simply amazing!!!! Thank you and Bless you, Abbie Reese!
3 people found this helpful
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Evelyn Uyemura
4.0 out of 5 stars Not much depth of thought
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2014
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An oral history gathers up what people choose to say about their own lives and experience, but I would expect some analysis or commentary on the part of the historian. This book held my interest, but in the end, I was disappointed at how shallow or unreflective these cloistered women seemed to be. I don't know whether that is a result of their years of silence, that they simply can't find the vocabulary to discuss their inner struggles, or whether the author didn't ever press them to dig a little deeper.

These women comment on the fact that they will not have children, but they never comment on the fact that they have also foresworn sex, which surely, for women who grew up in the secular world in the 70s,, 80s or 90s is a thought that must have crossed their minds. One of the stories, about a woman who was in an active order, hints at a personal love between herself and another nun, but no reflection on that possibility is included either.

They all comment on the fact that things were "hard" or "counter-cultural," but without any personal analysis of why they persevered through such difficulties. In the end, it was an oddly surface exploration of a deeply interior life. They come across as inarticulate, and I don't know whether that's due to some sort of mental damage (they live, after all, under circumstances that otherwise would constitute a form a torture), or inability to express their true thoughts, or the inability of their interviewer to help them express themselves.

And yet--I couldn't stop reading. It was hard to differentiate between one woman and another, and they all seemed very similar in their thoughts, but it still kept my interest.
6 people found this helpful
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Caitlin S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2014
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I have two friends who went into religious life. I have known them for many years and it just baffled me why they would choose that life. I picked up this book to help me understand what could have happened to have them make such a strange decision. I'm not sure how the author managed to get this group to talk to her, but it's an incredible opportunity to hear from the nuns first-hand what their lives have been like before and after joining. They all traveled different paths and their stories are vivid and full of life here. I'm glad I found this book because it showed me that I was the close-minded one. These people aren't going into religious life to get away from society. They are doing the thing that they believe helps society the most. Hopefully you'll find it as eye-opening as I did.
11 people found this helpful
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cortneym
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2014
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An absolutely fascinating ethnographic study of these women. I learned so much!

I will say that the book 1) talks in circles. It would be better organized if you talked about each sister once and got her entire story out before jumping to the next. There's a lot of bouncing back and forth here 2) repeats a lot of information a lot (see what I did there?). You don't need to reiterate the fact that the nuns are allowed to talk only during the recreation hour. You've said that once. I read it. I understood it. By the fourth repetition of that info, I start to get mad (not really).

But I'm so glad that Reese undertook this exploration and then shared it with the rest of us. I have truly been blessed by their stories. God Bless the Poor Clares!
4 people found this helpful
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pat
5.0 out of 5 stars An Enlightening Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2014
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Abbie Reese gives us a rare glimpse into the subculture of cloistered nuns. The Sisters' stories are as unique as the individuals themselves. Anyone who has ever wondered what makes a woman choose this life will find this book both interesting & enlightening.
I particularly liked the fact that Abbie, despite the fact that she is not Catholic, came across as respectful and appreciative of what must have seemed completely foreign to her. I loved the photos & would have liked to have seen some of the Sisters at prayer & other liturgical celebrations.
2 people found this helpful
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trufflelove
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book, amazing subject matter
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2014
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This book kept me enthralled from cover to cover. The process and progression of information gathering, resulting in the nuns breaking their silence is, in and of itself, fascinating. I expected to learn a lot about this silent culture, which i did, but I didn't expect to FEEL so much while reading the stories- feelings of being cared for and loved. Crazy.
This is a great and interesting book for people in all walks of life, not just religious.
13 people found this helpful
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Mickey789
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2014
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This was an easy read. It was very enlightening to know about the sacrifices that these cloistered nuns gave up to enter into this community. As it was a collection of interviews, at times the writing was disjointed. The photographs depicted the lives of the nuns very well. I would encourage any religious person to read this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

brozzerb
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book written in a conversational style
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great book written in a conversational style. Very informative and it gives an idea of what life is truly like in a monastery of cloistered nuns. It can at first be a bit off-putting because of the style of the writing, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with an intimate portrait of the life of these special women.
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