Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a Christian mystic, visionary, abbess, composer, dramatist, poet and healer. The brilliance and passion of her writings - including inscriptions of her visions, letters, liturgical antiphons, hymns, a morality play and medical and scientific works - speak to readers within the church as well as those who are not formally religious but have an interest in mysticism, the spiritual life, the relationship between spirituality and creativity, feminist and eco-spiritualities and the arts. Though considered a controversial figure in her day, she was recently canonised and proclaimed a doctor of the church, an honour extended to only three other women saints in Christian history. This groundbreaking introduction to her rich and varied writings presents a wide range of Hildegard's works grouped by theme, providing a deeper understanding of this influential spiritual figure than single-themed collections can. Insightful and instructive annotations provide the reader with suggestions for how to read or "listen" to mediaeval mystical texts as well as how to engage fully with Latin chants, allowing readers to effectually begin a dialogue between the world of this twelfth-century mystic and our own.
Enter the vibrant world of this medieval mystic and open yourself to the music of creation and the living light of God. This unique introduction to one of the most accomplished women in Christian history presents a wide range of Hildegard's rich and varied writings, grouped by theme, with insightful annotations and historical background.
