Opętanie ekspiacyjne po staropolsku? Przypadek Zofii Tomickiej
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Date
2009
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Wydział Teologiczny UAM
Title alternative
Expiatory Possession in the Old Polish Style? The Case of Zofia Tomicka
Abstract
The work Wzór i wizerunek [...] dziwnej świątobliwości [...] Zofii z Tylic Tomickiej [The
Paragon and Image o f the Strange Holiness o f Zofia Tomicka o f Tylice] written by a Jesuit
Stanisław Brzechwa (1588-1649) and published in 1634 is a unique biography not only in old
Polish literature. The heroine is a wealthy noblewoman who lived in the years 1595-1633 and she
is portrayed as a charismatic Catholic and at the same time one possessed by the devil. Tomicka
herself as well as her biographer saw in this possession a paradoxical grace of God and a most
efficient way of expiation for sins - a very rare case in the history of Christian spirituality. It seems
comparable only with the history of a Frenchwoman Marie des Vallées (1590-1656), the protege of
Jean Eudes (1601-1680), a well known saint and author of her two biographies, hitherto
unpublished. In reflection on such cases it seems appropriate to employ a theologically controversial
concept of expiatory possession, which gained popularity much later on in the wake of interest in
the life and death of a German woman Anneliese Michel (1952-1976). The 17,h century Jesuit
Stanisław Brzechwa was well aware o f the controversial nature of his work which bordered on
hagiography. Being convinced about the authenticity of Tomicka’s experiences he nevertheless
acknowledged their hybridity and ultimate unverifiability, deciding in some measure to step outside
the paradigm of dogmatic theology and his own Church.
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Keywords
possession, holiness, exorcisms, religious experience
Citation
Poznańskie Studia Teologiczne, T. 23, 2009, s. 191-212