CHALLENGES AND INFLUENCE OF THE “RHINE MYSTICISM” IN THE FORMATION OF A NEW EUROPEAN IDENTITY
Scientific notes of the National University "Ostroh Academy". Series: Philosophy June 27, 2024 Anna Rudnytska
In the late Middle Ages, people dissatisfied with external ritualized religion began seeking an immediate, internal, personal religious experience centered on God. This shift reflected the decay of feudalism and the birth of a new society, giving rise to informal lay movements like the Beguines and Beghards, which appeared in the 12th century and flourished in the 13th–14th centuries, especially in the Rhine region. These movements developed a spirituality similar to a pantheistic vision of God and the world, challenging church hierarchy through doctrinal deviations. The resulting "Rhine mysticism" both criticized and shaped this transformation from collective-ritual to radical individual religiosity, contributing to a new European identity that emphasized individualism and emancipation.