Independent Mystical Women Between Sacredness and Heresy: The Beguines

Abstract

The position of women in Christianity has been controversial from the early period. Although there were many examples of women's activities in religious life during that period, women were excluded from the church hierarchy in the later period. However, unlike institutional Christianity, women were more prominent in mystical Christianity, and they influenced society with some their visions and extraordinary experiences. One of the mystical women's movements that attracted attention in the Middle Ages is the Beguines consisting of independent mystic, secular women. They appeared for the first time in the 12th century in the Low Countries, consisting of a region comprising modern-day Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and also parts of eastern Germany and northern France. On the one hand, they were respected in society as mystical women, and on the other hand, they were kept in view by the Church as they were independent secular mystics. The article deals with the historical conditions and social dynamics in the emergence of the Beguines. It also evaluated the mystical lifestyle of the Beguines, their differences from other mystical groups, and how they are perceived by the Church. It is aimed that the article will contribute to the researches in different fields, in terms of shedding light on the history of Christian mysticism and the relations between the Church, mystics and women.

Keywords

• History of Religions, Christianity, Mysticism, Women, Beguines

Kutsallık ve Heretiklik Arasında Bağımsız Mistik Kadınlar: Beguineler

Öz

Kadınların Hıristiyanlık içerisindeki konumları geçmişten beri tartışmalı olmuştur. Erken dönemde kadınların dinî hayatta etkin olduklarına ilişkin çok sayıda örnek olmasına rağmen daha sonraki süreçte kilise hiyerarşisinden dışlandıkları bilinmektedir. Fakat kurumsal Hıristiyanlığın aksine, kadınlar mistik Hıristiyanlıkta daha öne çıkmışlar, vizyonları ve sıra dışı tecrübeleriyle topluma tesir etmişlerdir. Orta Çağ’da dikkat çeken mistik kadın hareketlerinden biri de Kiliseden bağımsız laik mistik kadınlardan oluşan Beguinelerdir. 12. yüzyılda Aşağı Ülkeler olarak bilinen bugünkü Belçika, Hollanda, Lüksemburg ile Almanya’nın doğusu ve Fransa’nın kuzeyindeki bölgelerde ortaya çıkmışlardır. Bir taraftan mistik kadınlar olarak toplumda saygı görmüş, diğer taraftan bağımsız laik mistikler oldukları için kilise otoritesince dikkatlice takip edilmişlerdir. Makalede Beguinelerin ortaya çıkmasındaki tarihsel koşullar ve sosyal dinamikler ele alınmaktadır. Ayrıca onların yaşam tarzları, diğer mistik gruplardan farkları ve Kilise tarafından nasıl karşılandıkları değerlendirilmiştir. Makale Hıristiyan mistik geleneği ile beraber Kilise, mistikler ve kadınlar arasındaki ilişkileri ele almaktadır, bu bakımdan çalışmanın farklı alanlardaki araştırmacılara katkı sağlaması hedeflenmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dinler Tarihi
• Hıristiyanlık
• Mistisizm
• Kadın
• Beguineler

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