Medieval Writings on Female Spirituality

Description

Biographies, poetic compositions, works that are mystical, prophetic, visionary, or meditative: the selections here reflect the developments in medieval piety, particularly in the link between female spirituality and the body. Included are the dramatic visionary writings of Hildegard of Bingen; letters and poems by Hadewijch expressing passionate love for God; and Marguerite Porete’s allegorical poem “The Mirror of Simple Souls,” a dialogue between Love and Soul that was condemned as heretical. Also included are biographies written by male ecclesiastics of women such as Christine the Astonishing, whose extraordinary behavior included being resurrected at her own funeral; revelations received by Bridget of Sweden, the first woman to found a religious order; and excerpts from The Book of Margery Kempe, in which Margery imagines herself as a servant caring for the Virgin Mary in her childhood.

This volume, edited by Elizabeth Spearing, who also prepared some of the translations, features a rich introduction to the lives and religious experiences of its subjects, as well as full explanatory notes.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Elizabeth Spearing

Introduction by Elizabeth Spearing

Suggestions for Further Reading

Acknowledgments and a Note on the Texts

Abbreviations

Hildegard of Bingen

Extracts from the Vita (translated by Peter Dronke)

Extracts from a Letter to Guibert de Gembloux (translated by Peter Dronke)

Extracts from Scivias (translated by Mother Columba Hart and Jane Bishop)

Christina of Markyate

Extracts from The Life of Christina of Markyate (translated by C.H. Talbot)

Hadewijch

Extracts from the Letters (translated by Mother Columba Hart)

Extracts from the Poems in Stanzas (translated by Mother Columba Hart)

Extracts from the Visions (translated by Mother Columba Hart)

Christine the Astonishing

The Life of St. Christine the Astonishing (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Mary of Oignies

Extracts from The Life of St. Mary of Oignies (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Elizabeth of Spaalbeek

The Life of St. Elizabeth of Spaalbeek (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Marguerite Porete

Extracts from The Mirror of Simple Souls (translated by A.C. Spearing)

Bridget of Sweden

Extracts from the Liber Celestis (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Julian of Norwich

Extracts from Revelations of Divine Love (Short Text) (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Extracts from Revelations of Divine Love (Long Text) (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Anonymous

A Revelation of Purgatory (translated by Elizabeth Spearing)

Margery Kempe

Extracts from the The Book of Margery Kempe (Book I) (translated by B.A. Windeatt)

Notes

US

Additional information

Dimensions	0.6900 × 5.1600 × 7.7000 in
Imprint	Penguin Classics
ISBN-13	09780140439250
ISBN-10	0140439250
Author	Elizabeth Spearing, Various
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	SOC028000, LCO010000
Subjects	book gifts, religious books, short story anthology, feminist gifts, feminist books, book lovers gifts, feminism books, sociology books, book lover, feminist book, long story short, book lover gifts, short story collections, good books for women, self love books for women, essay writing, short stories collections, spiritual books, history books, religion, feminist, feminism, happiness, SOC028000, Sociology, book lovers, short stories, history, essay, women in history, gratitude, essays, books for women, LCO010000, gifts for readers
Format	General Trade