Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Book of the Rewards of Life Liber Vitae Meritorum by The Book of the Rewards of Life: Liber Vitae Meritorum by Hildegard of Bingen. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. What can I do to prevent this in the future? If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Cloudflare Ray ID: 660776d3fb8b4df4 • Your IP : 116.202.236.252 • Performance & security by Cloudflare. Who was Hildegard of Bingen? Hildegard of Bingen, also known as Blessed Hildegard or Saint Hildegard, was a German Benedictine abbess in the 1100s. Her life’s work included forays into writing, pharmacology, composition, preaching, and illumination. She led a female monastery, reproved an emperor, and designed an abbey with central plumbing. But she was perhaps most well-known for her visions. Hildegard of Bingen was honored in Roman Catholicism by being named a Doctor of the Church in 2012. Hildegard, the tenth child of a knight, was born in 1098. At eight years old, she was sent to school at the co-ed monastery Mount St. Disibode in Disibodenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, where she spent the next several decades. Her supervisor taught her to read and write Latin, but not German, and was unable to give her any biblical or theological training. At 18, Hildegard took orders to become a nun. After twenty years, she was promoted to leader of the female population of the monastery. Despite the abbot’s protestations, Hildegard oversaw their removal to more spacious accommodations near Bingen, about forty miles west of modern-day Frankfurt. From the age of three, Hildegard had experienced visions, often of light, that were accompanied by a deeper understanding of Scripture and the cosmos and humanity’s place in it. When Hildegard became a nun, her confessor told her to keep track of her visions. Eventually, she received permission to compile them in books for the public. (“Know the Ways [of God]”) combines biblical commentary with the chronicles of 26 visions regarding the place of in the universe. The book includes 35 illuminations that she’s thought to have designed, although it’s not believed she drew them. Dr. Oliver Sacks, the neurologist from the movie Awakenings , agreed with a 1913 diagnosis that the nature of the mandala-like illustrations and the light-filled visions suggests the artist suffered from migraines. The original manuscript of Scivias was lost in World War II. What we have today is the result of a facsimile based on photographs taken in 1925. Hildegard of Bingen’s second book of visions, Liber Vitae Meritorum (“The Book of the Rewards of Life”), is a six-part treatise on human morality and the importance of repentance. Most of the writing is comprised of allegories about the struggles between 35 pairs of virtues and vices. The last part of the book considers more specifics about the vices, their required penance on earth, and their punishment in the afterlife. The author’s aim was to show how we are continually in a fight between virtue and and have a responsibility to choose the right path. Liber Vitae Meritorum includes the “Singspiel” Ordo Virtutum (“Order of the Virtues”), an opera about a person who listens to the virtues, is seduced by Satan, and then returns to the virtues. Ordo Virtutum is thought to be the oldest existing . De Operatione Dei , also called Liber Divinorum Operum (“The Book of Divine Works”), is the most ambitious of Hildegard’s books. It is partially based on the teachings of the Word in John 1:1–18 and explains how the spirit and body are inextricably connected, the spirit impelling the body to do good works. The second part covers a vision she had of creation, and the third builds on Scivias and goes into salvation. Hildegard believed that “all science comes from God” as a gift but that it is important to combine science with , to meld the intellect with the heart, which naturally leads to justice and peace. According to Hildegard, science and mysticism merely create the message; art (illustrations, poetry, and music) draws people to the message. Hildegard of Bingen’s book or books on healing and natural history are famous, but probably lost. The manuscripts attributed to her are thought to be heavily edited and compiled with other works. They are not based on visions but on traditional German folklore as well as her experience in the monastery garden and in caring for the sick. Physica (taken from a word meaning “pharmacology”) is a book of German folk healing. It covers the natural healing properties of plants, stones, and animals. But Hildegard always mixed the practical with the spiritual; she emphasized healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and balancing work and leisure, but she also believed that following the virtues would ensure psychological health. Her second book on nature, Causae et Curae (“Causes and Their Cures”), covers diseases, their causes, and the appropriate treatments. It includes sections on creation, the universe, man as a metaphor for the cosmos, original sin, the four humors or “juices” (air, fire, wind, and earth), child development, anatomy, diseases and cures, symptoms, and the effect of the moon on one’s character, constitution, and conception. Hildegard is known as the founder of natural history in Germany. Although Hildegard’s teaching was deemed orthodox by the Roman Catholic Church, her theology dabbled in the extra-scriptural because of her visions. She emphasized an interconnectedness of body and soul and mankind and creation that appeals to New-Agers today. She taught that men and women are completely equal because woman is the form given to the love of man, and, if the love in each is identical, they must have equal worth. She believed that being virtuous not only keeps one in a right relationship with God but it imbues one with creation ability. Hildegard was a prolific writer. We still have nine books, about 70 poems, 75 liturgical chants, and almost 150 letters—she even created her own language. Some consider this medieval woman to be the first “Renaissance man.” Her letters may be most revealing of her personality and place. In one, she chastises Pope Anastasius IV for compromising his clerical authority in the face of Emperor Frederick I. Other letters are actually transcribed from her sermons, which give practical application of her theological/cosmological works. Throughout is a prophetic call for the church to champion justice. Hildegard’s scientific exploration, dedication to virtues, and emphasis on social justice within the church are all remarkable. It is her mysticism, promotion of Roman Catholic doctrine, and reliance on extra-biblical visions that are problematic. Her accounts of a light that filled her brain, that was not spatial and had no height, length, or width, are consistent with symptoms of an ocular migraine. In the end, the teachings of this woman, an inspiration to Christian mystics, New-Agers, Buddhists, and feminists around the world, may have been influenced by a neurological disorder. Hildegard’s Ordo Virtutum. Hildegard of Bingen wrote Ordo Virtutum (“The Play of Virtues”) while asserting her independence, during the construction and relocation of her Abbey at Rupertsberg. Considered the first morality play, Ordo Virtutum premiered in 1152, as a part of the dedication ceremony of the new Abbey. In many ways, the play represents Hildegard’s midlife transition, and her break from many Benedictine formalities. Ordo Virtutum — Liber Vitae Meritorum. Some of the basic themes captured in Ordo Virtutum were later expanded in Hildegard’s second principal theological piece, Liber vitae meritorum (“The Book of the Rewards of Life”, c 1158-1163). Through the artistic creations of her music and visions, Hildegard of Bingen assembled an unparalleled body of original theological works. Ordo Virtutum represents a combination of artistic mediums, resulting in a groundbreaking morality play that posterity preserves as the precursor to modern opera. Hildegard’s of love music and theatrical production was reflected in the costumes and design that she incorporated into the play. The basic theme of Ordo Virtutum. Ordo Virtutum , in essence, portrays the eternal struggle between good and evil. This conflict persists universally in our hearts and increases with the expansion of personal freedoms. Hildegard expresses this conflict in 35 dramatic dialogues between virtue and vice, that battle over the soul of man. See Ordo Virtutum text translation, as translated by Peter Dronke. The struggles we experience, between virtues and vice, renew throughout our lives. Hildegard proposes that our nature prepares us to face these challenges because we possess an intuitive sense of good and evil. Hildegard calls this subconscious knowledge of vice and virtue “ bona et mala scientia “. Background of the play. The title, Ordo Virtutum , presents some variation in modern translation. The Latin word “virtus” generally translates into English as “virtue”; however, the related term “vis”, implies power and strength. Similarly, the Latin word “ordo” generally translates to “play” or “dance”, but it can also mean the rules of order. Thus the dual meaning of Ordo Virtutum can be interpreted as the “rules by which the world works”. For Hildegard, virtues represent both divine powers and human attitudes. The theme of combining divine power with human effort appears throughout Hildegard’s work. Ordo Virtutum presents the forces of virtue as human allegories, singing the visions of divine order. Hildegard’s fundamental concept of healing. Ordo Virtutum plays on one of Hildegard’s fundamental concepts: divine forces conspire to support the human soul, eventually leading to fulfillment through spiritual cooperation. The soul can also conspire with evil and negative forces, though eventually we recognize the harm it brings us and return to divine forces to rescue us. These thoughts remain relevant today against the backdrop of modern values in business, politics, and society at-large. Hildegard regarded positive actions in life as more than simply responding to ethical demands, but as means to bind the human experience with the divine. Accordingly, she considered values such as reverence, love, truth, balance, joy, and hope as the means to health and healing in life. Healing through wholeness. For Hildegard, health results from respecting the inseparable combination of moral actions and physical well-being. Ordo Virtutum shows how, with guidance and planning, the ethical path lead to balance, health, and wholeness in life order. Ordo Virtutum tells the story of the challenges of the Human Soul (Anime) as she is guided by the Virtues, led by their queen, Humility, to obtain wholeness of the spirit. Through Ordo Virtutum Hildegard promotes restoring the lost unity between Creator and Creation. Contemporary Variations. In February 2017, Tim Slover will present his play, Virtue , in Salt Lake City at the Plan-B Theater. Virtue interprets Hildegard’s lifetime during the time period when she wrote Ordo Virtutum , which also coincides with her midlife awakening. Finally, and most recently, we experienced a wonderful contemporary Ordo Virtutum performed by Deepak Ram and Diana Rowan along with the San Francisco Renaissance Voices on Hildegard’s Feast Day, September 17, 2017. See more on the San Francisco Ordo Virtutum, and the following piece by the Ensemble Vocatrix performing Ordo Virtutum in Los Angeles in 2016, see clip below. Hildegard of Bingen Writings. The body of work surrounding Hildegard of Bingen writings is expansive and diverse. She was equal parts nun and scientist, theologian and philosopher, musician and poet, and naturalist and doctor. In hindsight, many of Hildegard’s views are ground breaking. Her work helped usher in many new and creative ways of thinking but her greatest contribution just may have been her dedication to aggregating the knowledge that preceded her. Hildegard of Bingen’s historical impact results as much from her unique thinking as it does from her role in diligently recording the culmination of beliefs and practices over centuries of human experience. Hildegard of Bingen Writings to Experience. Today, part of Hildegard’s reputation comes from her overwhelming output, and vigorous dedication to work. She simply lived her work, serving as an ancient embodiment of Woody Allen’s famous concept that “80 percent of success is showing up”. And, show up she did. Fortunately, for us her work continues to show up. It lives on in our own questions and pursuits, and it will likely live on in posterity. Part of what makes Hildegard of Bingen so unique is how she touches people in different ways through her contributions. While it is always a challenge to winnow her accomplishments down to a short-list, there are a handful of Hildegard of Bingen writings that are worth highlighting. We’ve come up with seven of her most important and far-reaching works. (1) LIBER SCIVIAS – Know the Ways (1141-1151) Hildegard’s first theological work, Scivias, is a comprehensive book of faith capturing descriptions and images of her 26 visions. The book had been encouraged by prominent theologians and would bring Hildegard some notoriety within her lifetime. The book describes God’s way to man, through creation, salvation, and course of history, which also happens to describe man’s path to God. Illumination from Liber Scivias. (2) LIBER VITAE MERITORUM – The Book of Life’s Merits (1158-1163) Hildegard’s second primary work takes the form of 35 dramatic dialogues between vice and virtue, illustrating the inseparable link between the cosmos, man’s salvation, and moral determination. The book elaborates on a theme of personal responsibility for choices we make between good and evil, which reverberate into the cosmos. This helps explain Hildegard’s notion of micro and macrocosm; that the universe is both within us and around us. Liber vitae meritorum. (3) LIBER DIVINORUM OPERUM – The Book of Divine Works (1163-1170) Hildegard of Bingen’s final visionary work describes the comprehensive relationship with God, the world around us, and man. Nathanial M. Campbell, who translated this piece from Latin to English, describes the book as containing “ten visions are the most complex of Hildegard’s corpus, each revealing different aspects of the Work of God” and his relationship to all creation and human salvation. Image from Liber Divinorum Operum (Lucca-Codex) (4) CAUSAE ET CURAE – Causes and Cures (1150-1158) Although some dispute the origins of Causae et Curae, most historians count this among Hildegard of Bingen writings. In this work, Hildegard describes a variety of health conditions, including their cause and symptoms. She also provides guidance for the treatment of those pathologies with natural remedies. Hildegard promotes the prevention of disease and illness by natural means of a moderate and healthy lifestyle. Dr. Victoria Sweet elaborates on Hildegard of Bingen medicine in her extensive body of work. (5) PHYSICA – The natural Power of the things (1150-1158) Initially written in combination with Causae et Curae, Physica describes the forces of nature and their effect on the health of man. Hildegard describes the touchstone of nature’s healing process as viriditas, referring to the greening power of nature to heal itself. The book breaks down into nine chapters with various healing elements: herbs, elements, trees, precious stones, fish, birds, land animals, reptiles, and metals. Image from first edition print of Scivias, 1533. (6) SYMPHONIAE – Songs (1151-1170) The book of songs includes 77 songs that Saint Hildegard wrote and composed. This includes the morality play and opera precursor, “Ordo Virtutum” (Play of Virtues), which first premiered in 1152 for the consecration of Hildegard’s new monastery and Abbey at Rupertsberg. The Book of the Rewards of Life: Liber Vitae Meritorum by Hildegard of Bingen. HEALTH and HEALING Hildegard von Bingen. Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing . trans. Priscilla Throop. Healing Arts Press. 1998. Fournier-Rosset, Jany. From Saint Hildegard's Kitchen: Foods of: Health, Foods of Joy . Liguori. 2010 Strehlow, Wighard and Hertzka, Gottfried. Hildegard of Bingen's Medicine (Folk Wisdom Series). Bear & Co. 1987. HOMILIES & SERMONS Hildegard of Bingen Homilies on the Gospels. ed. Beverley Mayne Kienzle. Cistercian Studies. 2011. LETTERS Critical Editions Hildegardis Bingensis, Epistolarium pars prima I-XC edited by L. Van Acker, Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis CCCM 91A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1991) Hildegardis Bingensis, Epistolarium pars secunda XCI-CCLr edited by L. Van Acker, Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis CCCM 91A (Turnhout: Brepols, 1993) Hildegardis Bingensis, Epistolarium pars tertia CCLI- CCCXC edited by L. Van Acker and M. Klaes-Hachmoller, Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis XCIB (Turnhout: Brepols, 2001) LIBER VITAE MERITORUM Critical Editions & Translations Hildegardis Bingensis, Liber vitae meritorum . A. Carlevaris ed. Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis CCCM 90 (Turnhout: Brepols, 1995) Hildegard of Bingen. The Book of the Rewards of Life: Liber Vitae Meritorum. trans. Bruce W. Hozeski. . 1997. abridged Translations. Sharratt, Mary. Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen . Mariner Books. 2013 ONLINE VIDEO Hildegard Society Channel on Youtube CINEMA Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen (2009) RADIO & PODCASTS Hildegard of Bingen. In Our Time. BBC Radio 4. June 26, 2014. Hildegard of Bingen: Sybil of the Rhine . Harmonia. Indiana Public Radio. Program (01-11) 2002. RECORDINGS.