Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), abbess of two monasteries on the Middle Rhine, is one of the most renowned spiritual figures of the Latin Middle Ages. Her body of work, impressive in its scope and diversity of literary forms, is shaped by the Benedictine mindset and simultaneously reflects the intellectual developments of the 12th century. The broad range of themes in Hildegard's works provides a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between God, humanity, and the world. In contrast to the emerging form of philosophical-theological discourse in the 12th century, which was dialectical in nature, Hildegard developed a metaphorical language. By using images for her interpretation of the world and existence, she explored the heuristic potential of the interaction between image and concept in her anthropological and cosmological ideas.