Medieval Women Mystics

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Some of the earliest books authored by women were so-called “mystical” texts written in Europe in the Middle Ages. They are amazing feats of rhetoric, beauty, power, and protest. This course focuses on five medieval Christian women mystics: Hildegard of Bingen (German, 1098-1179), Hadewijch of Antwerp (Dutch, early 13th century), Marguerite Porete(French, d. 1310), Julian of Norwich (English, ca. 1343-1416), and Teresa of Avila (Spanish, 1515-1582). Our analysis of each mystic will be threefold: (1) we will begin with her historical, cultural, and political context; (2) we will consider the theological content of her writings and examine her methodology; and (3) we will undertake a comparative study in which we consider such issues as religious authority, gender, rhetorical strategies, and the role of physicality and the senses in mysticism. We will also look at women “mystics” from the 20th and 21st centuries, comparing them with their medieval counterparts and asking how mysticism is related to activism. The course takes an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach and so should help deepen or broaden knowledge of students interested in theology and religion, history, literature, languages, music, visual arts, women and gender studies, sociology, psychology, spirituality, and/or political theory.