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Mechthild of Magdeburg’s Followers (10)

Mechthild of Magdeburg

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Catholicism, Mysticism, Religion

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Mechthild (or Mechtild) of Magdeburg (c. 1207 – c. 1282/1294), a Beguine, was a medieval mystic, whose book Das fließende Licht der Gottheit (The Flowing Light of Divinity) described her visions of God.

Definite biographical information about Mechthild is scarce; what is known of her life comes largely from scattered hints in her work. She was probably born to a noble Saxon family, and claimed to have had her first vision of the Holy Spirit at the age of twelve. In 1230 she left her home to become a Beguine at Magdeburg. There, like Hadewijch of Antwerp, she seems to have exercised a position of authority in a beguine community. In Magdeburg she became acquainted with the Dominicans and became a Dominican tertiary. It seems clear that she re Mechthild (or Mechtild) of Magdeburg (c. 1207 – c. 1282/1294), a Beguine, was a medieval mystic, whose book Das fließende Licht der Gottheit (The Flowing Light of Divinity) described her visions of God.

Definite biographical information about Mechthild is scarce; what is known of her life comes largely from scattered hints in her work. She was probably born to a noble Saxon family, and claimed to have had her first vision of the Holy Spirit at the age of twelve. In 1230 she left her home to become a Beguine at Magdeburg. There, like Hadewijch of Antwerp, she seems to have exercised a position of authority in a beguine community. In Magdeburg she became acquainted with the Dominicans and became a Dominican tertiary. It seems clear that she read many of the Dominican writers. It was her Dominican confessor, Henry of Halle, who encouraged and helped Mechthild to compose The Flowing Light.

Her criticism of church dignitaries, religious laxity and claims to theological insight aroused so much opposition that some called for the burning of her writings. With advancing age, she was not only alone, and the object of much criticism but she also became blind. Around 1272, she joined the Cistercian nunnery at Helfta, who offered her protection and support in the final years of her life, and where she finished writing down the contents of the many divine revelations she claimed to have experienced. According to Professor Kate Lindemann, it speaks much of this community and its Abbess, that they would embrace a woman who was over 60 years of age, in poor health and so isolated by society. It is unclear whether she actually formally joined the Cistercian community or if she simply resided there and participated in the religious services but did not take Cistercian vows. The nuns of Helfta were highly educated and important works of mysticism survive from Mechthild’s younger contemporaries, St. Mechthild of Hackeborn and St. Gertrude the Great.

It is unclear when Mechthild died. 1282 is a commonly cited date, but some scholars believe she lived into the 1290s. ...more

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Mechthild of Magdeburg’s books

Average rating: 4.09 · 199 ratings · 31 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Mechthild of Magdeburg: The Flowing Light of the Godhead by Mechthild of Magdeburg, Frank Tobin (Translator) 4.13 avg rating — 170 ratings — published 1990 — 49 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Meditations from Mechthild of Magdeburg by Mechthild of Magdeburg, Henry L. Carrigan Jr. 3.79 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 1999 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Das fließende Licht der Gottheit. Eine Auswahl 4.60 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 1250 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Matelda and the Cloister of Hellfde Extracts from the Book of Matilda of Magdeburg by Mechthild of Magdeburg, Frances A. Bevan (Translator) liked it 3.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2011 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Prayers of St. Gertrude and St. Mechtilde by Gertrude the Great, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Hermenegild (Preparation) 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2011 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Die Gesichte der Schwester Mechtild von Magdeburg : aus dem "Fliessenden Licht der Gottheit". 1917 [Leather Bound] 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Preces Gertrudianae: Prayers of St. Gertrude and St. Mechtilde of the Order of St. Benedict by Thomas Alder Pope, Gertrude the Great (Creator), Mechthild of Magdeburg (Creator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Mechthild of Magdeburg (?)

“A fish cannot drown in water,
A bird does not fall in air.
In the fire of creation,
God doesn't vanish:
The fire brightens.
Each creature God made
must live in its own true nature;
How could I resist my nature,
That lives for oneness with God?”
― Mechthild of Magdeburg, Meditations from Mechthild of Magdeburg

tags: atman, god, inner-nature, transcendence, wind

44 likes

“You shine into my soul
Like the sun against gold.”
― Mechthild of Magdeburg, Mechthild of Magdeburg: The Flowing Light of The Godhead: The Revelations of Mechthild of Magdeburg

5 likes

“O du unermesslicher Schatz in deiner Fülle!
[…]
Wie weh mir dann nach dir ist,
wenn du mich schonen willst,
das könnten dir alle Kreaturen nicht wirklich sagen,
wenn sie meine Klage vorbringen würden,
denn ich leide unmenschliche Not;
Der leibliche Tod wäre mir weit willkommener
[…]
Deswegen muss ich eine schwere Krankheit erdulden,
denn du hältst mich gebunden,
dies Band ist stärker, als ich es bin,
Daher kann ich nicht von der Liebe frei werden.

Ich rufe nach dir mit gewaltiger Sehnsucht
Und kläglicher Stimme,
ich warte auf dich, schweren Herzens,
ich kann nicht ruhen, ich brenne
Unauslöschlich in deiner heißen Liebe
[…]
Ach, Herr, da du mir alles entzogen hast, was ich von dir habe,
so laß mir doch aus Gnade jene Gabe,
die du jedem Hund von Natur aus verliehen hast,
nämlich, daß ich dir getreu bleibe in meiner Not
Ohne jedes Aufbegehren.”
― Mechthild von Magdeburg, Mechthild von Magdeburg "Das fließende Licht der Gottheit": Nach der Einsiedler Handschrift in kritischem Vergleich mit der gesamten Überlieferung. ... des Mittelalters, 101)

tags: gott, gottesliebe, liebe, mystik

1 likes

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Mechthild of Magdeburg’s Followers (10)

Mechthild of Magdeburg

Combine EditionsMechthild of Magdeburg’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Mechthild of Magdeburg’s books