Pluralism

The core of this chapter is a detailed exploration of the life of a historical figure, Catherine of Siena, a C14th religious mystic. This allows close attention to one individual without risking confidentiality. It shows how multiple, transdisciplinary theoretical perspectives can be layered to shed light on the many contexts that make up a life. Issues of culture (including gender), historical events, family relationships, internal conflicts of the self, and bodily processes are each explored and then reconnected in a tentative formulation. The further benefit of looking back seven centuries is that the influence of culture stands out starkly as difference, helping to reveal its causal power.