The mysticism of Thea Bowman

As a seminarian taking classes in church history, spirituality and mission formation, and women of the Reformation, I learned a key fact about mysticism: from Christianity’s triumph in the fourth century up to the 18th century, mysticism was associated with women. In the 12th century, Hildegard of Bingen had prophetic visions and struggled with God’s call for her to “write down that which you see and hear,” but in the end she did write down what she saw “in heavenly places.” In the 13th century, Mechthild of Magdeburg received her first “greeting” from the Holy Spirit at age 12, and at 23 she left her family to live an obscure life as a Beguine. Her mysticism was marked by erotic imagery of divine love and marriage. Catherine of Siena’s 14th-century life was an example of mysticism in action: she aided the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned.

I was intrigued to learn about Hildegard, Mechthild, Catherine, Julian of Norwich, and Teresa of Ávila. These are the women mystics most Christians with an interest in the topic can recall by name. But as I studied the history of Christian mysticism, I kept wondering to myself, where were the Black women?

In my own research, I discovered that the life of Thea Bowman mirrors those of the great Christian mystics. Sister Thea, née Bertha Elizabeth Bowman, heard God’s call at a young age and became a Catholic sister—the first African American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Rather than cloister herself in a convent, Bowman lived as an active contemplative, fighting for racial and social justice. She endured enormous personal suffering while continuing to serve her community and church.