god essay
Mechthild
and
other
medieval
women
mystics
employ
the
language
of
suffering
and
pain
to
describe
both
their
practical
piety
and
mystical
experience.
and
other
medieval
women
mystics
employ
the
language
of
suffering
and
pain
to
describe
both
their
practical
piety
and
mystical
experience.
JSTOR: Access Check
even
though
a
violent
struggle
against
God's
loving
advance
is
not
explicitly
described,
Mechthild's
admonition
implies
that
the
soul
has
a
tendency
to
"fiercely
fend
it
off."
Again
we
find
a
narrative
of
sacred
romance,
in
which
the
soul
struggles
against
but
eventual
submits
to
divine
persuasion.
though
a
violent
struggle
against
God's
loving
advance
is
not
explicitly
described,
Mechthild's
admonition
implies
that
the
soul
has
a
tendency
to
"fiercely
fend
it
off."
Again
we
find
a
narrative
of
sacred
romance,
in
which
the
soul
struggles
against
but
eventual
submits
to
divine
persuasion.
JSTOR: Access Check
pain
is
largely
incidental
to
the
larger
discussion
in
these
works,
treated
as
a
feature
of
the
"physical
and
spiritual
disjointedness,"
of
human
ex-
istence,12
or
the
manifestation
of
the
female
mystic's
commitment
to
bodily
imitatio
Christi.
is
largely
incidental
to
the
larger
discussion
in
these
works,
treated
as
a
feature
of
the
"physical
and
spiritual
disjointedness,"
of
human
ex-
istence,12
or
the
manifestation
of
the
female
mystic's
commitment
to
bodily
imitatio
Christi.
JSTOR: Access Check
The
soul
goes
on
to
offer
her
spirit
to
God
in
death,
descend
into
hell,
be
raised
from
the
dead,
offer
consolation
to
her
disci-
ples,
and
ascend
into
heaven.
In
all
these
ways,
the
loving
union
of
the
soul
with
God
is
depicted
in
the
language
of
Christ's
own
experience
in
the
New
Testament
Passion
narratives.
soul
goes
on
to
offer
her
spirit
to
God
in
death,
descend
into
hell,
be
raised
from
the
dead,
offer
consolation
to
her
disci-
ples,
and
ascend
into
heaven.
In
all
these
ways,
the
loving
union
of
the
soul
with
God
is
depicted
in
the
language
of
Christ's
own
experience
in
the
New
Testament
Passion
narratives.
JSTOR: Access Check
Mechthild
understands
that
fallen
humanity
is
brought
into
intimate
union
with
God
through
the
mediating
work
of
physical
•
23
pain
understands
that
fallen
humanity
is
brought
into
intimate
union
with
God
through
the
mediating
work
of
physical
•
23
pain
JSTOR: Access Check
she
bursts
into
flames,
not
out
of
pain,
but
out
of
passion
for
the
Bridegroom.
bursts
into
flames,
not
out
of
pain,
but
out
of
passion
for
the
Bridegroom.
JSTOR: Access Check
For
medieval
women
mystics,
the
pursuit
and
embrace
of
physical
pain
became
a
focal
point
of
their
ascetic
religious
devotion
and
the
primary
means
by
which
they
experienced
union
with
God.
medieval
women
mystics,
the
pursuit
and
embrace
of
physical
pain
became
a
focal
point
of
their
ascetic
religious
devotion
and
the
primary
means
by
which
they
experienced
union
with
God.
JSTOR: Access Check
the
most
important
question
of
all
remains
unanswered:
For
Mechthild,
why
does
union
with
the
Godhead,
the
only
One
who
is
able
to
comfort
and complete
the
soul,
produce
wounding
and
pain?
Certainly,
room
must
be
made
for
the
emphasis
of
medieval
scholasticism
upon
God
as
Wholly
Other
and
the
Aristotelian
notion
of
pain
as
the
aspect
of
bodily
existence
that
is
most
intimately
human.33
But,
for
many,
especially
fe... See more
most
important
question
of
all
remains
unanswered:
For
Mechthild,
why
does
union
with
the
Godhead,
the
only
One
who
is
able
to
comfort
and complete
the
soul,
produce
wounding
and
pain?
Certainly,
room
must
be
made
for
the
emphasis
of
medieval
scholasticism
upon
God
as
Wholly
Other
and
the
Aristotelian
notion
of
pain
as
the
aspect
of
bodily
existence
that
is
most
intimately
human.33
But,
for
many,
especially
fe... See more
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Hollywood,
Amy.
The
Soul
as
Virgin
Wife:
Mechthild
of
Magdeburg,
Marguerite
Porete
,
and
Meister
Eckhart.
Notre
Dame:
University
of
Notre
Dame
Press,
1995.
Amy.
The
Soul
as
Virgin
Wife:
Mechthild
of
Magdeburg,
Marguerite
Porete
,
and
Meister
Eckhart.
Notre
Dame:
University
of
Notre
Dame
Press,
1995.
JSTOR: Access Check
SOURCE