Mechthild of Magdeburg - Essay Example

Order 529827 Topic: Mechthild of Magdeburg Mechthild of Magdeburg is born great; in the sense she has her first inspiration when she is 12 years old. She is an extraordinary medieval mystic, born in the year 1210. (1210-1285)In her experience, she is blessed by the Divine Power. Her experiences with the Ghost continue on a daily basis. With such experiences she must have been the chosen individual by the God for furthering the cause of Christianity. Carl McColman (2010, p.11) writes, “I can give several snappy definitions: Mysticism is the art of union with God.

Mysticism is the experiential core of spirituality, contrasted with religion, which is an organized assembly of rituals…” Mechthild’s level of spirituality is god-ordained. With this perspective, she is eminently suited to tread the path of spirituality. She gives up the secular comforts with the intention to become a Beguine at Mageleburg in 1230. She is trained in spirituality by Dominicans, who excel in austerities, engage in extensive prayers and hard mortification. She has profound divine experiences often, and she is totally free from the secular confusions and her inner self is one with Divinity.

In 1270 she associates with Cistercian nuns at Helfta, and continues with them for the rest of her life. She has written a great book that contains the details of her inner experiences and visions. The name of the book, as ordained by God is "Light of my divinity, flowing into all hearts that live without guile". Mechthild begins writing it in 1250 and completes the 6th volume at Magdeburg in 1264.She adds the 7th volume at Helfta. That Mechthild, one of the greatest medieval mystic, was marginalized in her times by a male-dominated Western Culture was true.

Women were marginalized in all sections of the society and spirituality was no exception. Carol L. Flinders strongly pleads that societal conditions need to be of that level where women should be able to fulfill their deepest longings, realize freedom and seek God. True wisdom does not belong to any time period or to a particular sex. It transcends all human-created restrictions. The truth which Mechthild propounded at her times holds good today as well, as such revelations transcend the human mind and also time.

Keeping Mechthild in the forefront, Carol has presented the special contributions of women mystics and describes their lives taking into consideration the difficult times in which they lived. She (1993, p.66) writes, “I feel very much that way myself with regard to Mechthild’s writings. She was the supreme poet-mystic of her time.” Elucidating the problems of the medieval mystics she writes further, “….she is the voice for all the women mystics who remain silent—silenced, in many cases.

A tremendous poignancy pervades her story. Mechthield had bad days….” (p.75) My opinion and conclusion: Once an individual, male or female, transcends the mind, his/her speech and writings become revelations. They are nothing but truth and free from all sorts of controversies. Controversies are created by the people who think below-the mind-level. Mystics and realized souls ever ravel in the state of bliss, and all their revelations are identical in essence. The language may vary, but the divine content is the same.

But the present social conditions demand something more from the mystics as compared to the medieval times. They must not remain secluded; instead they should actively initiate socio-spiritual schemes for the benefit of the common man and the society at large. McColman writes, “It seems to me that the central question we need to ask is how and why that ancient wisdom can be relevant today. How can we take the authentic Christian mysticism of history and apply it to our own spiritual level?”(p.21) At the secular level, during the medieval times, the social status of the women, in comparison to men, was lower.

That inequality embraced the spiritual segment as well. Even in contemporary culture hostility towards the feminine culture is evident. On this issue Carol writes, “ While it is true that medieval mystics were not repudiating feminine flesh alone, but all human flesh, women were so much more heavily identified with the body for many reasons…”(p.70) Like other female mystics Mechthild also suffered on account of this deferred treatment to women and conventional masculine/church biases. God feminism was a problem then; god feminism is a problem even now!

Works Cited Flinders, Carol L; Enduring Grace: Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics, Harper One; 18th Edition, June 11, 1993. McColman, Carl; The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality, Hampton Roads Publishing, August 1, 2010.