A Comparative Study of the Conception of Revelation in Mysticism of Ruzbihan Baqli and Hildegard of Bingen
Seyyedeh Sara Kashfi, Ghorban Elmi, Naser Gozashteh
ادبیات عرفانی July 24, 2021 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.22051/jml.2021.35050.2161 via DOAJ
Summary
Revelation is understood as a manifestation of the sacred that brings spiritual experience, unity, and rebirth. Comparing Ruzbihan Baqli and Hildegard of Bingen reveals different conceptions of revelation. Ruzbihan seeks mystical experience from God and participates in revelation with God, while Hildegard finds knowledge of divine mystery in revelation and narrates it to the Christian community as a third person.
Study at a glance
| Design | comparative study |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Ruzbihan Baqli participates in revelation with God, whereas Hildegard of Bingen narrates revelation to the Christian community as a third person. |
Abstract
According to phenomenologists of religion, revelation means the manifestation of the sacred based on divine grace to man, the output of which is a spiritual experience, unity, novel recognition, and rebirth. On this basis, the phenomenon of revelation can be studied regarding three aspects: the manifestation of the sacred, man, and the role of revelation. Since the writings of Ruzbihan Baqli and Hildegard of Bingen are based on the experiences of revelation, the researcher seeks to explore the conception of revelation on the basis of the three angles of revelation considering the mystical findings of these two mystics. The comparative method adopted in this study, in place of a framework called similarities and differences (Essentialism and Structuralism), first examines the main characteristics of each angle and then confronts them like two mirrors facing each other. Our findings show that Ruzbihan seeks mystical experience from God and participates in revelation with God; Hildegard, on the other hand, finds knowledge of the divine mystery in revelation and, as the third person, narrates it to the Christian community.