A Christian Mystic in the Middle Age: Hildegard of Bingen -From Perspective Church, Mysticism and Feodality

Abstract

Hildegard of Bingen is a mystic lived in the Middle Ages (1098-1179). Even though Hildegard spent most of her life in the monasteries, she did not stick within the limits of the monastery. Because she intimated close relationships with many important people from the Pope to the Emperor. Hildegard has an important place in the history of Christian mysticism in terms of receiving the title of Church Doctor immediately after his death (1204). The Bingen region, where Hildegard lived, is included in the World Cultural List by UNESCO. This region is regarded as a pilgrimage and spiritual journey centre by the Christians. In this article, which is compiled from my doctorate dissertation entitled “Hildegard of Bingen and her Place in History of Christian Mysticism”, we try to examine in this article, which is compiled from my doctorate dissertation entitled “Hildegard of Bingen and her Place in History of Christian Mysticism”, we try to examine the life of Hildegard and influence of her on Christian mysticism.

The article focuses on the Church, mysticism and women's issues. First of all, will be informed brief information about Christian mysticism and Hildegard studies, then will be evaluated her effects on Christian thought.

Christian mysticism and the studies of Hildegard of Bingen were affected negatively by criticisms that began against religious ideas in the post-Enlightenment period. However, Hildegard's work has increased in the West since the 90s. Additionally there has been made a film about her (Vision, y. 2009), Christians has accepted monasteries where she lived as the center of pilgrimage and has performed her compositions in church ceremonies. All of these demonstrate that Hildegard's position in Christian thought.

On the one hand in the period when Hildegard lived there occurred social and economic transformations on the other hand political and religious matters were debated in the center of the papal elections. We can say that Hildegard partly involved in these discussions. According to sources, Hildegard was born in 1098 as the tenth child of her family in a place known as Bermersheim in the diocese of Mainz. This area is surrounded by monasteries which follow different rules such as Benedictine and Cistercian. Hildegard with Jutta who is a spiritual leader (Magistra) of her and the other woman called Jutta cloistered to the Saint Disibod monastery. She remained in this monastery for many years, then moved to St. Rupert monastery, where she founded a convent dedicated to women. The approval of Hildegard's visions at the Trier Synod by Pope Eugenius accelerated the process of this move. Because the number of nuns of the monastery increased after this event. The monastery of Saint Disibod was recognized as the place of pilgrimage by the nuns and as a place of healing by the sick people.

The process from 1151 to her death was Hildegard's most influential period. Because Hildegard, who completed her most famous work Scivias, was known as a visionary mystic woman and priest. During this period, Hildegard got the opportunity to preach to priests and the public in sermons tours. In these sermons, Hildegard followed a policy defending the Church against separations and external dangers like Cathars even if she had not given them by name. Another issue that Hildegard emphasizes in her sermon tours is the laziness and weakness of the priests. The fact that a woman in her sixties age addressed to priests and rebuked for their mistakes is unordinary in terms of the dynamics of the Middle Ages.

Hildegard contributed to the history of Christianity and mystical Christian literature with her works and effectiveness. Hildegard is a mystic who works interdisciplinary with her many works belonging to different fields such as theology, mysticism, herbal medicines, natural philosophy. Also, the church music, which is composed by Hildegard and still used today, has asserted of her effect and permanence. The fact that Hildegard's idealization of God in nature of man and strongly underlines that God regards to man, distinguishes her from other mystics of the Middle Ages who accepted the human as evil-doer. Hildegard's remarkable aspects are that she voiced the need for reform within the class of priests and that women are closer to God than men who cannot protect God's trust. Hildegard permitted dressing, wearing jewelers, beautifying. These decisions have proved that she was outside general tendencies of her age. For example, Hildegard said that the nuns could dress white clothes like bridal gown unlike abbesses, who forced to wear a black hood. It can be said that Hildegard flexed hard lines of women for Paul and Augustine. But we think that she shares the traditional view on the sinfulness of Eve and supported that men are supremacy in sexual life, at home, in social life. For this reason, it is not possible to see Hildegard as a medieval feminist. This acceptance means falling into the danger of anachronism. In other words, it is possible to say that Hildegard did not show a radical break with the position of the woman in the tradition. It is said that she accepted the weakness of the woman who inherited from past, but she tried to get out of this negative heritage with the special gifts given to her by God.

Keywords

• History of Religion,Christian Mysticism,Middle Age,Church,Hildegard

Kilise, Mistisizm ve Feodalite Perspektifinden Orta Çağlı Bir Hıristiyan Mistik: Bingenli Hildegard

Öz

Hıristiyan mistisizmi Orta Çağ’dan itibaren olgunlaşmaya başlamıştır. Bingenli Hildegard (1098-1179) Hıristiyan mistisizminin olgunlaşmaya başladığı bu dönemde dikkat çeken bir mistiktir. Kendisi Tanrı, insan ve âlem gibi konuları ele aldığı eserleri yanında müzik, botanik, anatomi gibi farklı disiplinlere ait düşünceleriyle de günümüze kadar etki etmiştir. Hildegard, gördüğü vizyonların da etkisiyle çevresindeki insanlar tarafından bir danışman veya gelecekten haber veren bir kâhin olarak kabul görmüştür. Bunun yanı sıra halka ve rahiplere vaaz vermek için farklı şehirleri dolaşmış, bu vaazlarda hem rahipler zümresini bazı hususlarda eleştirmiş hem de heretik akımlara karşı insanları uyarmıştır. Tanrı’nın bazı sıfatlarını feminen bir şekilde ele alması diğer yandan doğayı, Tanrı’nın sıfatlarını ve erdemleri birbirleriyle bağlantılı açıklaması Hildegard’ı farklı kılan özelliklerdir. Bu makalede Hıristiyan mistisizm tarihinin önemli bir halkasını teşkil eden Hildegard ve onun Hristiyan mistisizmine etkisi ele alınacaktır. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dinler Tarihi,Hıristiyan Mistisizmi,Orta Çağ,Kilise,Hildegard

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