Abstract
Though Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Benedictine Abbess and polymath, canonized and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 2012, has been named a patron of ecology, only fragments of her ecological philosophy exist. This article attempts to introduce Hildegard’s polyphonic work by outlining her theology of viriditas as the green thread that connects her cosmological, anthropological, and ethical theory and to show how it constructs the relationship between humanity and creation as a cosmic partnership. Hildegard's striking visual style is not only inspired by her appreciation of the natural world, but deeply grounded in her theology. This theology entails an ethical obligation for humans to live in harmony with creation and to take on the task to become co-creators in God’s garden, culminating in a symphonic life in harmony with all creation. Thus, Hildegard offers not only a theory but also a practice towards an integral ecology.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © The Author(s) 2024
Recommended Citation
Furchert, Almut
(2024)
"Cosmic Partnership: Hildegard of Bingen’s vision of an integral ecology,"
The Journal of Social Encounters:
Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, 310-326.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69755/2995-2212.1293
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol8/iss2/18
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Home > Journals > The Journal of Social Encounters > Vol. 8 (2024) > Iss. 2
Cosmic Partnership: Hildegard of Bingen’s vision of an integral ecology
Authors
Almut FurchertFollow
Abstract
Though Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Benedictine Abbess and polymath, canonized and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 2012, has been named a patron of ecology, only fragments of her ecological philosophy exist. This article attempts to introduce Hildegard’s polyphonic work by outlining her theology of viriditas as the green thread that connects her cosmological, anthropological, and ethical theory and to show how it constructs the relationship between humanity and creation as a cosmic partnership. Hildegard's striking visual style is not only inspired by her appreciation of the natural world, but deeply grounded in her theology. This theology entails an ethical obligation for humans to live in harmony with creation and to take on the task to become co-creators in God’s garden, culminating in a symphonic life in harmony with all creation. Thus, Hildegard offers not only a theory but also a practice towards an integral ecology.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © The Author(s) 2024
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Furchert, Almut (2024) "Cosmic Partnership: Hildegard of Bingen’s vision of an integral ecology," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 8: Iss. 2, 310-326.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69755/2995-2212.1293
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol8/iss2/18
DOWNLOADS
Since September 03, 2024
Included in
Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, History Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Philosophy Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons
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