‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250)
‘Do not ridicule the world’: A reappraisal of the philosophical aspects in Mechtild of Magdeburg’s Das fließende Licht der Gottheit (1250). This article provides a reappraisal of the philosophical aspects in Mechtild von Magdeburg’s (ca. 1207–1282) Das fließende Licht der Gottheit, written in 1250 a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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AOSIS
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Verbum et Ecclesia |
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| Online Access: | https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1965 |
| _version_ | 1818200259439886336 |
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| author | Johann Beukes |
| author_facet | Johann Beukes |
| author_sort | Johann Beukes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ‘Do not ridicule the world’: A reappraisal of the philosophical aspects in Mechtild of Magdeburg’s Das fließende Licht der Gottheit (1250). This article provides a reappraisal of the philosophical aspects in Mechtild von Magdeburg’s (ca. 1207–1282) Das fließende Licht der Gottheit, written in 1250 and found in 1860, only then to be edited in modern German. The article argues that Mechtild’s philosophical output constitutes a unique counter-cultural reaction from the 13th century. Her philosophical perspectives are characterised and represented by a solemn dictum for a 13th century nun (albeit a beguine), ‘do not ridicule the world’), which amounts to an intellectual engagement that takes the world seriously on a constant basis. Her emphasis on the union of the human and the Godhead, the primary role she attributes to experience in the acquisition of knowledge and her ethical interest in the ‘Other’ in a fragile world, stand to serve her deepest impression that love is the primary principle of both God and creation. Showing little interest in essentialist or causal analyses, with the exception of the principle of love, and with little in common with her early-scholastic contemporaries in their intellectual, scholastic refinements of the life-world system, she nevertheless exerted an influence on the mystical trajectories of the later Middle Ages, especially in the German tradition of Meister Eckhart.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: As a millennium-long discourse, Medieval philosophy functions in a Venn diagrammatical relationship with Medieval history, Church history, patristics and philosophy of religion. Whenever ‘mainstream’ or ‘canonised’ Medieval philosophy is impacted from the niche research, it may well have implications that these closely related disciplines could take note of. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:34:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39421fa264cb45739b8e4d07db124dbc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1609-9982 2074-7705 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:34:49Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Verbum et Ecclesia |
| spelling | doaj.art-39421fa264cb45739b8e4d07db124dbc2022-12-22T00:41:18ZafrAOSISVerbum et Ecclesia1609-99822074-77052019-09-01401e1e810.4102/ve.v40i1.19651510‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250)Johann Beukes0Department of Philosophy, Faculty Humanities, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein‘Do not ridicule the world’: A reappraisal of the philosophical aspects in Mechtild of Magdeburg’s Das fließende Licht der Gottheit (1250). This article provides a reappraisal of the philosophical aspects in Mechtild von Magdeburg’s (ca. 1207–1282) Das fließende Licht der Gottheit, written in 1250 and found in 1860, only then to be edited in modern German. The article argues that Mechtild’s philosophical output constitutes a unique counter-cultural reaction from the 13th century. Her philosophical perspectives are characterised and represented by a solemn dictum for a 13th century nun (albeit a beguine), ‘do not ridicule the world’), which amounts to an intellectual engagement that takes the world seriously on a constant basis. Her emphasis on the union of the human and the Godhead, the primary role she attributes to experience in the acquisition of knowledge and her ethical interest in the ‘Other’ in a fragile world, stand to serve her deepest impression that love is the primary principle of both God and creation. Showing little interest in essentialist or causal analyses, with the exception of the principle of love, and with little in common with her early-scholastic contemporaries in their intellectual, scholastic refinements of the life-world system, she nevertheless exerted an influence on the mystical trajectories of the later Middle Ages, especially in the German tradition of Meister Eckhart. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: As a millennium-long discourse, Medieval philosophy functions in a Venn diagrammatical relationship with Medieval history, Church history, patristics and philosophy of religion. Whenever ‘mainstream’ or ‘canonised’ Medieval philosophy is impacted from the niche research, it may well have implications that these closely related disciplines could take note of.https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1965Mechtild von MagdeburgDas fließende Licht der Gottheita metaphysics and cosmology of movementneoplatonic emanationthe triadic relation of the soul and the senses |
| spellingShingle | Johann Beukes ‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250) Verbum et Ecclesia Mechtild von Magdeburg Das fließende Licht der Gottheit a metaphysics and cosmology of movement neoplatonic emanation the triadic relation of the soul and the senses |
| title | ‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250) |
| title_full | ‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250) |
| title_fullStr | ‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250) |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250) |
| title_short | ‘Maak die wêreld nie tot bespotting nie’: ’n Herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in Mechtild von Magdeburg se Das fliessende Licht der Gottheit (1250) |
| title_sort | maak die wereld nie tot bespotting nie n herwaardering van die filosofiese aspekte in mechtild von magdeburg se das fliessende licht der gottheit 1250 |
| topic | Mechtild von Magdeburg Das fließende Licht der Gottheit a metaphysics and cosmology of movement neoplatonic emanation the triadic relation of the soul and the senses |
| url | https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/1965 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johannbeukes maakdiewereldnietotbespottingnienherwaarderingvandiefilosofieseaspekteinmechtildvonmagdeburgsedasfliessendelichtdergottheit1250 |