The Mystery of the Rosary Madonna del Rosario (The Madonna of the Rosary), by Caravaggio, circa 1606–07 (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gmäldegalerie). The Mystery of the Rosary Marian Devotion and the Reinvention of Catholicism Nathan D. Mitchell (cid:4) NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London www.nyupress.org © 2009 by New York University All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mitchell, Nathan. The mystery of the rosary : Marian devotion and the reinvention of Catholicism / Nathan D. Mitchell. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978–0–8147–9591–0 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0–8147–9591–9 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint—Devotion to. 2. Rosary. 3. Catholic Church—History—Modern period, 1500– I. Title. BT645.M58 2009 242’.74—dc22 2009013547 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Demetrio S. Yocum in solitude, for company This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1 Reframing Reform 5 2 Reframing Representation 47 3 Reframing Ritual 77 4 Reframing Religious Identity 114 5 Reframing the Rosary 152 6 Reading the Beads 193 Conclusion 237 Notes 243 Index 313 About the Author 325 vii This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments Although writing is often seen as solitary work, authorship is a complex communal activity. It is my happy task, therefore, to acknowl- edge the many individuals and groups whose assistance made this book possible. Thanks are due first to editor Jennifer Hammer at New York University Press, not only for her initial interest in this project but for her sustained follow-up, wise counsel, and keen eye. Her astute editorial recommenda- tions helped me focus and reorganize the book’s chapters at critical mo- ments in their development. Gratitude is also due to Ms. Hammer’s able assistant, Gabrielle Begue. To all my colleagues and students in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame I owe a deep debt of gratitude. Their ad- vice, wisdom, and generosity made my work a pleasure, not a burden. To the staff of the Theodore M. Hesburgh Library at Notre Dame—and especially to Susan A. Feirick and her colleagues at the circulation desk— many thanks for their assistance, patience, and sense of humor. Finally, to Demetrio, mille grazie for daily inspiration, insight, and en- couragement: “Aquæ multæ non potuerunt extinguere caritatem, nec flu- mina obruent illam. Si dederit homo omnem substantiam domus suæ pro dilectione, quasi nihil despiciet eam” (Canticum canticorum 8.7). ix