Musical Offerings ⦁ 2021 ⦁ Volume 12 ⦁ Number 2 65 the image of man, not God. Her idea of the role of women in the Church is not one of authority, but rather of humility. Women were considered humble because of their lower status. Because the Bible states that those who were humbled were exalted, however, humility was key to being respected. Matthew 23:12 reads, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”4 Hildegard leaned into this theological concept when she remarked, “ego paupercula feminea forma” (I am a poor little figure of a woman) in response to a letter regarding her work Scivias. Scivias is a record of Hildegard’s visions, prophecies, and writings. It reads as a combination of visions and theological treatise. “I heard a voice from heaven” is an oft repeated opener followed by theological exposition. In Scivias, she extends her discourse on the humility of women when she wrote, O frail human form from the dust of the earth, ashes from ashes: cry out and proclaim the beginning of undefiled salvation! Let those who see the inner meaning of Scripture, yet do not wish to proclaim or preach it, take instruction, for they are lukewarm and sluggish in observing the justice of God. Unlock for them the treasury of mysteries, which they, the timid ones, bury in a hidden field without fruit. Therefore, pour out a fountain of abundance, overflow with mysterious learning, so that those who want you to be despicable on account of Eve's transgression may be overwhelmed by the flood of your profusion.5 Hildegard regarded herself as a lowly servant of God, only able to convey what he wished. She often wrote, “I am uneducated” before she proceeded into an extensive discourse on a complicated subject. Hildegard wished to proclaim the way of salvation, admonish priests, and reveal the mysteries of Scripture, something she accomplished because of her lowlier status as a woman. Hildegard also strengthened her relationship to God, and thus her authority in the Catholic Church through perpetual virginity—like Mary, the mother of Jesus. Virginity gave people additional connection to God in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Hildegard’s virginity was often 4 Matt. 23:12 (NASB). 5 Hildegard, 8.
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