On Shrieking the Truth: Mary and Proclamatory Wailing

Drawing on examples of the Virgin Mary, Margery Kempe, and Mothers of the Movement, this article explores wailing as a form of prophetic speech. According to Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary wailed at the crucifixion, and her cries constituted a substantive message of judgment and lament. Many in the medieval church considered her a preeminent preacher. Margery Kempe, a medieval pilgrim preacher, and the Mothers of the Movement, African American activist-mourners, also herald a divine message through wailing. In illuminating this form of bearing witness, this essay considers the sonic dimensions of the gospel, the authority of the preacher, and the nature of divine revelation.