The purpose of this project is to gain an understanding of the daily lives of nuns in an English nunnery by examining a particular prominent abbey. This study also attempts to update the history of the abbey by incorporating methods and theories used by recent historians of women's monasticism, as well as recent archaeological evidence found at the abbey site. By including specific examinations of Barking Abbey's last nuns, as well as the nuns' artistic and cultural pursuits, this thesis expands the scholarship of the abbey's history into areas previously unexplored. This thesis begins with a look at the nuns of Barking Abbey. the social status of their secular families, and how that status may have defined life in the abbey. It also looks at how Barking fit into the larger context of English women's monasticism based on the social provenance of its nuns. The analysis then turns to the nuns' daily temporal and spiritual responsibilities, focusing on the nuns' liturgical lives as well as the work required for the efficient maintenance of the house. Also covered is the relationship the abbey and its nuns had with their local lay community. This is followed by an examination of cultural activity at the abbey with discussion of books and manuscripts, music, singing, procession, and various other art forms. The final chapter examines the abbey's dissolution in 1539 under Henry VIII's religious reforms, including the dissolution's effect on some of the abbey's last nuns.

This study was designed against the background of the vital need for a comprehensive research on religious sisters in Africa and Nigeria in particular to address the problems and challenges of identity construction by them within the context of religious community life. It is an interpretative qualitative research study which used an interdisciplinary theoretical approach, drawing on theology of religious life and dialogical self theory to argue that the sisters‘ performance of identity is a context-bound activity. Interview data was drawn from 18 participants from two religious congregations (Daughters of Divine Love and Society of the Holy Child Jesus) in Nigeria in order to understand the meaning sisters give to their intersubjective exchange and the impact it makes on their development and performance of personal/religious identity. The results showed that the sisters used a multiplicity of I-positions to construct identity. This multiplicity of I-positions arises from self-positioning and self as positioned by others (including superiors/formators, senior/older sisters, priests) which are laden with conflicts and dilemmas of identity construction. The major dilemma of identity construction that the participants encountered is based on the discrepancy between the ideal and the lived reality of religious life. The participants presented the ideal as a call to do God‘s will in direct imitation of Christ, but the lived reality offers a mixed experience. On the one hand the participants indicated that relationships within the religious community, Church and wider Nigerian society are supportive, facilitating their development and performance of Christ-like identity. But on the other hand the findings reveal that the participants‘ performance of identity has been hindered by power relations and dominance (including gender related issues) which are prevalent in religious communities, the Church and wider Nigerian society, leading the participants to present their performance of identity as a struggle for survival. Thus their construction of identity is a constant negotiation process, in which they are engaged in appropriation and rejection of positions as they struggle to construct unity-in-multiplicity. To this effect the study recommends that leaders of religious life review their leadership style in order to adopt a more inclusive approach which gives every sister the opportunity to speak and be heard, thus create a more conducive environment for sisters‘ identity construction. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Adelaide, 1989. / Typescript (Photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-206).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of History, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [20-31]).

Thesis--Rome, Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 363-390).

Univ., Diss.--Salzburg, 2003.

Thesis (Doctoral)--Universitaria Española, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 403-412).

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 129-133.

Thesis (Doctoral)--Universitaria Española, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 403-412).