Colonialism, women, and religious orders: Rethinking the history of foundations of religious women congregations in Asia

Between the sixteenth to early twentieth century, many Catholic women religious orders were established in Southern Asia. The foundation of women religious orders was an important part of the church missions in Asia traditionally viewed as the “mission world.” Missionary activities by European religious orders were driven by an understanding of mission which during this period meant conversion to Christianity. Many Asian women joined catholic religious orders under the guidance of bishops and religious male orders. This paper is an attempt to explain this movement from a feminist postcolonial perspective. Asian missions have its traditional connection to colonialism and structures of patriarchy. The traditional phrase “God, glory, gold” used to describe colonialism has been challenged by feminists as inadequate in describing the impact of colonialism on women. Gender must be part of the analysis. The study offers a critical reading of the history of foundation of women religious congregation in terms of its connection to colonialism and its impact on women. It traces the historical development of selected Catholic religious congregations for women in the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam by looking at the economic, political, cultural and religious context that led to their foundations. The focus of the study, however, is on the tension between the foreign missionaries and women religious as well as women’s struggles and resistance in shaping their religious communities