Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen, often referred to as Saint Hildegard, was a renowned German Benedictine abbess, writer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary, and polymath. She is known for her significant contributions to music, medicine, theology, and botany, as well as her profound impact on the Catholic church during the Middle Ages.
Hildegard’s literary works delve into subjects such as her visions and her spiritual ideas concerning Viriditas, or greenness, which is the divine presence expressed in the natural world, and Sapientia, also known as “Divine Wisdom.”
She wrote three volumes of visionary theology: Scivias (shortened form of the Latin Scito vias Domini, approximately translated “Know the Ways of the Lord”), Liber vitae meritorum (approximately translated “The Book of Life’s Merits”), and Liber divinorum operum (approximately translated “The Book of Divine Works”). One selection from Scivias about a vision reads: “And it came to pass ... when I was 42 years and 7 months old, that the heavens were opened and a blinding light of exceptional brilliance flowed through my entire brain. And so it kindled my whole heart and breast like a flame, not burning but warming.”
Scivias documents and illustrates twenty-six visions experienced by Hildegard. It outlines her belief of the divine journey toward humanity, encompassing creation, redemption, and the unfolding of history, while simultaneously detailing humanity’s path to God.
The Book of Life’s Merits consists of thirty-five dialogues between vices and virtues, highlighting the interconnectedness of the universe, human salvation, and ethical choices. The book delves into the concept of individual accountability and how humans’ choices echo throughout the cosmos. This sheds light on Hildegard’s idea of the microcosm and macrocosm, suggesting that the universe exists both internally and externally—within and around humans.
The Book of Divine Works, Hildegard’s final visionary work, explores the intricate relationship between God, the surrounding world, and humanity.
English translations of Hildegard’s works include Scivias (Paulist Press, 1990) translated by Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop, The Book of the Rewards of Life: Liber Vitae Meritorum (Oxford University Press, 1997) translated by Bruce W. Hozeski, and Hildegard of Bingen’s Book of Divine Works with Letters and Songs (Bear and Co., 1987) edited by Matthew Fox.
Hildegard’s contributions to medicine and botany are compiled in her encyclopedic Liber subtilatum (approximately translated “Book of Subtleties of the Diverse Nature of Created Things”). Her 1157 treatise, Physica or Liber simplicis medicinae (approximately translated “Book of Simple Medicine”), and Causae et Curae (approximately translated “Causes and Cures”) present a holistic view of the human being and emphasize the connection between the human body and nature.
Hildegard was a prolific composer who wrote numerous songs and prayers, including a cycle of seventy-seven songs titled Symphonia harmoniae caelestium revelatonium (approximately translated “The Symphony of the Harmony of Heavenly Revelations”). Her most significant musical work is a liturgical drama Ordo Virtutum (approximately translated “Order of the Virtues”).
Hildegard was born the youngest of ten children in Bermersheim vor der Höhe in the County Palatinate of the Rhine in the Holy Roman Empire. At the age of eight, she was customarily offered as an oblate to the Benedictine monastery at the Disibodenberg, where she was educated and eventually made her religious vows.
Hildegard was a prominent figure in church reform and corresponded with popes, emperors, and influential figures of her time, often advising them on matters of politics and theology. Despite women’s marginalized role in the 12th century, Hildegard’s influence was substantial, as evidenced by her writings and continued reverence. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Hildegard a Doctor of the Church, a title bestowed on saints of particular importance in their contributions to theology or doctrine.