The Women in Orders (Hildegard) Against the Beguines (Mechthild)

(This image of Hildegard of Bingen shows her recording her visions, the image comes from Scivias, her first written work.)

From our discussions in class on Wednesday and Friday, I have been thinking a lot about mystics and their individualized nature. We mentioned that many women may share a few common ideas or facts, but largely stood separately from one another. One thing we did not discuss in class but was in the reading refers to the differences between early mystics and beguine mystics. The quote itself reads, “in Hildegard’s writings, ‘the soul, at the summit of the vision, becomes similar to God,’ while for beguines ‘the soul is annihilated to become ‘what God is’’” (CP 132). The reason this is so interesting is that it offers two very distinct ideas concerning the soul during a vision. One suggests becoming like God, in the other the soul is destroyed.

Within such a dichotomy it is not surprising that women mystics tended to act differently whether beguine or not. For those of you who cannot remember beguines were women who led lives of religious devotion, without joining a religious order. The reason this distinction is needed is that these women had a little more freedom than their counterparts who took vows with an order. The reason the above quote interested me so much centers on the differences. For those women tied to an order the soul becomes similar to God, but retains its separation. The beguines lost their souls to become the same as God. Could this be due to the beguines not being tied to an order, so they believe their ability to become like god instead of just a soul that offers a similar understanding to what God is? The similar language but distinct differences between becoming similar to God and to becoming God make these women understand their visions very differently. Another thought is the beguines because they were not tied to an order sought to more fully recognize the power of God in annihilating their souls to give them information through these visions. By placing all the power in God, the beguines may have received better acceptance in to culture, instead of saying they held on to a level of agency.