The Dangers of Independence

The concept of the beata, which we discussed this week, is very interesting. These women lived lives devoted to the service of God, taking vows of chastity and abstaining from other vices, but did so without the supervision of an established monastery or church. This kind of independent lifestyle was rather unique for women at the time, especially one devoted to the church. Often women who lived on their own were associated with sinful activities and defiance of religious mandates. But these ladies claimed that they were living under God's will, relinquishing their own desires. Such a contradiction raised interesting issues in society and often caused complicated problems.

Being a beata must have been an attractive opportunity for women at the time. Much in the way that some convents allowed the nuns a comfortable lifestyle, the life of a beata offered even greater freedom and peace, without the intervention of the leaders who governed the monasteries. They could continue in their former position in society under the vague constrictions of their own personal vows to God. They often lived in communities together, supporting themselves by selling goods and performing other tasks without the domination of men or the urge to marry in order to maintain their way of life. But a group of women living together with no supervision made a lot of people very nervous. Church leaders, in particular, worried that if people, particularly women, were able to craft their own interpretations of the Scriptures without any censorship or surveillance they would be led astray and accept doctrines of highly questionable validity. Beatas were of particular concern to the Inquisition, since they claimed a role in the religious structure of the community but did not conform to the requirements of a traditional nun.

The case of Marina de San Miguel, an older beata brought before the Inquisition, is an example of how the skepticism of church leaders was aroused. In her first hearing, she appeared to be a pious, hard-working woman, having provided vital assistance to her family and saved enough money to buy her own house despite having several difficult challenges to overcome in her life. But as the Inquisition instructed her to "examine her memory" and determine the reason that she was brought in, she eventually confessed outrageous offenses such as having relations with the devil and a man named Juan Nunez. It is likely that she was a victim of Juan's misleading and was very confused about the condition of her soul, given the images in her visions, but to the church, it was clear that regardless of her intent, her independent lifestyle had led to her despicable condition that might have been prevented under the guidance of a monastery.

However, despite the threat posed to individual souls, I think the church also recognized the threat that the position of beata posed to their own institutions. The more that people felt they could interpret the Scriptures on their own and take care of their own struggle for salvation, the less power the church wielded in the community. This was likely the primary motivation for the excessive use of the Inquisition. Rooting out heretics emphasized the real Biblical truth, but those arrested also served as an example to those who were unsure of the church's power. In a time when the state was usurping much of the church's jurisdiction, it was vital that they maintain all control over religious thought. Growing independence, as usual, was a threat to established authority.