Hildegard lives in these pages, not only through the superb analysis of a woman living in a turbulent and changing time, but also in an affirmation of Hildegard’s deep trust of the soul’s potential to change individuals and their culture. Through this exploration of Hildegard of Bingen, she emerges as a woman deeply immersed in a rich inner life creatively expressed in many forms. In particular, she is seen as a woman of the past, caught between a patriarchal institution and her recognition of the divinity of all creation and of the feminine. She thus anticipates by many centuries the anguish of our time. The domains of eco-feminism, spirituality (both ecclesial and secular), and the natural religiosity of the psyche are all enriched by the synthetic consciousness evident in this work.
The psychology–theology interface is a contemporary necessity, and this volume in particular will be warmly welcomed by clinicians, spiritual directors, artists and musicians, the Hildegard readership, and the general searching public.
In this revised and expanded edition, Clendenen brings the scholarship up to date and addresses the changes wrought by Hildegard being named a Doctor of the Church.
With a foreword by Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, Experiencing Hildegard is a synthesis of Hildegard of Bingen’s spirituality with insights from Jungian depth psychology, particularly regarding the unconscious and the reality of the soul. In this revised and expanded edition, Clendenen brings the scholarship up to date and addresses the changes wrought by Hildegard being named a Doctor of the Church.