Hildegard of Bingen: Scivias (Classics of Western Spirituality (Paper))

Rating:
Summary: An approachable translation
Review: Hildegard von Bingen, one of the prominent German mystics in the Middle Ages, stands as an anomaly amidst the whole host of Christian mystics. One reason to account for this is the fact that instead of advocating reform of the church in a confrontational manner, she often deflects it by recourse to God's voice. The voice that speaks in Scivias is more often than not the 1st person voice of God, and the persona of Hildegard the receptor of the visions occupies technically the position of a third person glossator and observer. On top of that, the chief focus of her 'reform' is of 'ordo virtutuum', a reform that works from within as opposed to the outright opposition(or confrontational gestures) offered by English Lollards in their translation of the Latin Vulgate into the vernacular Middle English tongue, or the Beguines' usurpation of the Catholic church's monopoly to Biblical interpretation.

Another reason to account for her special status as a medieval mystic is the absence of any so-called phenomenon of stigmata, trance-like swoonings, fleshly ecstasies like those of Margery Kempe or Teresa D'Avila. Hildegard received these purported visions without the influence of drugs and she transcribed them in a state of clarity unlike any other female mystics of her time.

What I appreciated about this edition was that they placed the pictorial depiction of her visions side by side with her writings and expositions of their meanings. The pity however is that these pictures(illustrated plates in the original medieval manuscripts) are not coloured, and one suffers from disappointment since he is not able to re-construct exactly the details(right down to the colour and shade Hildegard mentions) as in the original. Barbara Newman's introduction was extremely helpful, owing to her academic expertise in the field of medieval mysticism. Personally speaking, I bought this for the sake of an academic paper, but anyone else who is interested in the background of medieval mysticism and esoteric wisdom will find Newman's introduction enlightening and useful to set the whole work in the right context.

Rating:
Summary: A book of wisdom a Christian should not ignore
Review: Scivias is a book that unfortunately is not very well known. This is a work a Christian should not ignore, as well as all the work of St. Hildegard von Bingen. The whole book shows that this is really heavenly inspiration, no doubt that Saint Hildegard had the gifts of the Holy Spirit, since she had the gifts of prophecy, healing, etc. She is one of the most amazing persons born in the world.