Preaching prioress?

DID HILDEGARD of Bingen preach despite ecclesiastical injunctions against it? Hildegard certainly uttered words from God’s mind and her own thoughts. Hearers described her holy discourse in different ways: teaching, prophecy, speaking, announcing, admonishing, proclaiming, but generally not preaching. The choice of words reflects the speaker’s or author’s point of view and relationship to ecclesiastical authority. Transgressing the boundary between prophecy and preaching proved dangerous for a woman. For example a self-called prophetess, Theuda, claimed divine revelation and prophesied publicly in 847 that the end of the world was near. For usurping the office of preaching, she was sentenced to public flogging in the city of Mainz.

Arguments for and against women preaching often centered on Mary Magdalene, specifically her announcement to the disciples that Jesus Christ was risen. The Benedictine Geoffrey of Vendôme (1093–1132) taught that Mary Magdalene preached widely and was the “apostle of Christ’s Resurrection.” Later churchmen, including Dominicans Vincent of Beauvais (d. 1264) and Vincent Ferrer (1350–1419), added that while Mary did preach, she repented and desisted after hearing that Paul prohibited it. Still others, such as Dominican Moneta of Cremona (d. 1240), did not recognize Mary’s proclamation of the Resurrection as official preaching before the church.

A HOLY COMMAND

When Hildegard received God’s command in 1141 to “speak and write” what she heard and saw, she “knew the meaning of the exposition of the Psalter, the Gospels, and other catholic books from the volumes of the Old as well as the New Testaments.” In 1158 the inspired magistra began composing her Liber vitae meritorum; at the same time, she was establishing her second monastery in Eibingen and beginning her visits or tours to cathedrals and monastic communities.

About her first tour, which took place between 1158 and 1161, Hildegard wrote, “I also journeyed to the locations of other congregations and there explained the words which God has ordered.” 

Theodoric of Echternach, author of the Life of Hildegard (completed in 1191), compared Hildegard to Moses, John the Evangelist, and Deborah. He praised her preaching and named 21 places where she preached: 5 cathedral cities and 16 monasteries. On a later tour (1167–1170), she affirmed God’s direction, writing, “It was shown me in true vision that I would go to see certain communities of spiritual men and women and openly declare to them what God had shown me.” 

Clerics close to Hildegard observed that she possessed a Spirit-given dispensation to speak God’s words. Robert, abbot of Val-Roi, wrote in a letter to Guibert of Gembloux: 

The apostle does not allow a woman to teach in the church; but this woman, through receiving the Spirit, has been freed from that condition and instructed by the Spirit’s teaching. In her heart, through her own wisdom, she has learned by experience what is written: “Blessed is the person whom you have instructed, Lord, and you have taught that person from your law.” [Ps 93:12]

Indeed Hildegard’s words encouraged and edified her listeners, as Philip, dean of the cathedral at Cologne, wrote:

Because we esteem your maternal piety, we want to inform you that after your recent visit to us at God’s command when, through divine inspiration, you revealed the words of life to us, we were greatly astonished that God works through such a fragile vessel, such a fragile sex, to display the great marvels of his secrets. “But the Spirit breathes where it will.” [John 3:8] For since it is abundantly clear that the Spirit has chosen a dwelling that pleases it in your heart, understandably we come to you in admiration as if to the living temple of God to offer up prayers, and we seek responses of truth from your heart, as from the very oracle of God. We further request that you commit to writing and send us those things that you spoke aloud to us earlier.

 So did the prioress preach? Yes she did, but some would not call her words “preaching.” One thing remains clear: Hildegard spoke with authority, and like Mary Magdalene, proclaimed the very “words of life.”