"The Flowing Light of the Godhead" by Mechthild of Magdeburg in the spiritual and regional context of her time

Abstract

The paper offers an analysis of the spiritual ideas, artistic method and life circumstances of the outstanding German XIII-century religious mystic visionary. It begins by presenting a manuscript of Mechthilds famous work («Das Fließende Licht der Gottheit») recently discovered by the author (together with E.R. Skvairs). Its early date and Halberstadt provenance prompted the authors special attention to aspects of regional religious history. Mechthilds contemporaries on the spiritual scene of Magdeburg, the monastic tradition of Helfta (Mechthilds home convent) are viewed against fundamental theological influences like Old Testamental ideas, patristic literature, West- European Mysticism of the XIII century, womens monastic movements and saints of her day (Yutta of Sangerhausen).