“…Her child got stuck inside her and died [ⲭⲟⲧ̄ϩ︤ ⲛϩⲧⲏⲥ︦ ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩ]”: A Survey of Religious Approaches to the Danger of Childbirth (Life of Aaron 105)

This paper examines the ways religious texts and artifacts have sought to mitigate the danger of childbirth. Noting that pregnancy and pregnancy related complications have the ability to lead to lifelong physical and psychological changes as well as death itself, I investigate how religious thought and practice has sought to mitigate these realities. Specifically, I begin with an account of a dangerous parturiency from the sixth-century Coptic Life of Aaron and then explore the way religion has historically sought to address the dangers of childbirth and the perinatal experience using non-medical practices including prayer, amulets, and ritual. Together, I endeavor to highlight how religion cultivates healing discourses that complicate modern notions of healthcare and medicine.