Sunday21stOctoberSeminar TheGreeningofHope:HildegardinAustralia CentreforTheologyandMinistry,29CollegeCrescentParkvilleVIC3051.

1:00pmGather Session1 i. MaleFemaleSpiritualPartnershipintheTwelfthCentury:VolmarandHildegard ConstantMews ThispaperseekstounpackoneofthemostperplexingfeaturesofthecareerofHildegard,namely herfriendshipwithVolmar.Itexaminestheunusuallyopenattitudetowardsmalefemale relationshipwithinreformedmonasticcirclesinGermanyinthelateeleventhandearlytwelfth centuries,drawingcomparisonwiththesituationinFrance,asillustratedbothbyRobertofArbrissel andhisaristocraticpatron,Hersende,andbythesituationofAbelardandHeloise.Thepaperexplores howVolmarbothhelpedHildegardacquiredauthorityandwashimselftransformedbythis experience.
ConstantJ.MewsisProfessorwithintheSchoolofPhilosophical,HistoricalandInternationalStudies,Monash UniversitywhereheisalsoDirectoroftheCentreforStudiesinReligionandTheology.Hehaspublishedwidely onmedievalthought,education,andreligiousculture,withparticularreferencetothewritingsofAbelard, Heloise,HildegardofBingenandtheircontemporaries,includingTheLostLoveLettersofHeloiseandAbelard. PerceptionsofDialogueinTwelfthCenturyFrance,2ndedn(Palgrave,2008).

ii.

HildegardsEntryintoReligionReconsideredAgain! SabinaFlanagan: In1999IpublishedapaperentitledHildegardsEntryintoReligionReconsidered.InitIarguedthat therushtochangethedateofHildegardsentryintoreligionfrom1106to1112,ontheevidenceof thenewlypublishededitionoftheVitaJuttaewaspremature.Sucharadicalchangeinour understandingofHildegardsearlycareerwhichwouldmakeherayoungwomanof15ratherthana childofeightwhensheenteredthecellatDisibodenberghasimportantconsequencesbothforour understandingofHildegardherselfandofherwork,besidesdirectlycontradictingHildegardsown accountofherearlylife. However,possiblybecauseofitstimingjustaftertheflurryofpublicationscelebratingthe900th anniversaryofHildegardsbirthin1998myinterventionseemstohavehadlittleeffectonwhathas nowbecomethecanonicaldatingofthisimportanteventinHildegardslife.InthispaperIrevisit someoftheargumentsImadein1999andengagemoredirectlywiththoseadvancedbyAnna SilvasinherJuttaandHildegard:TheBiographicalSources(1998)andEmilySoutherlandinParergon 27(2010).Byexaminingthecircumstancesofthecompositionofthesesources,particularlytheVita Juttae,Ihope,ifnottooverturnthelaterdate,atleasttoreopendiscussionofthequestion..
SabinaFlanagansbiographyHildegardofBingen:AVisionaryLife(Routledge,1989;secondrevisededn1998) iswidelyappreciatedasanaccessiblescholarlystudy.Readershavewelcomeditascompulsivereadingthat castaboldlightonquestionsthatweevadeatourperilanditwillcontinuetoinstructandchallengeanew generationofreaders.ItisacompaniontoherlaterHildegardanthology,SecretsofGod:Writingsof HildegardofBingen,(Boston,Shambhala1996). AgraduateofSydneyUniversityandtheUniversityofAdelaide,andaformerARCAustralianResearchFellowin thedepartmentsofHistoryattheUniversityofMelbourneandtheUniversityofAdelaide,Sabinasmostrecent bookisDoubtinanAgeofFaith:uncertaintyintheLongTwelfthCentury(Brepols,2008). SomeofSabina'sworkonHildegardisonlineathttp://www.hildegard.org/documents/flanagan.html

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JulieHotchin TBA AnarduousandworrisomedutyHildegardandMonasticLeadership ThebreadthandnatureofHildegardscorrespondenceatteststoherreputationasavisionaryand mediatorbetweendivineandhumanneeds,andtoherroleasaspiritualmothertothenumerous menandwomenecclesiastic,monasticandsecularwhosoughthercounselanddirectionin dealingwithchallengesconfrontingthem.Monasticsuperiorsmenandwomen,who,likeHildegard, wereentrustedwithresponsibilityforthespiritualandpracticalcareofthesoulsentrustedtothem featureinlargenumbersamonghercorrespondents.Theirpetitionstotheseerexpressthefrailties anddoubtsbesettingmenandwomenstrugglingtoliveuptothedemandsofoffice,offeringa revealinginsightintothepsychologicalandspirituallandscapeofmonasticleadershipinthetwelfth century. AnalysisofHildegardsepistolaryexchangeswithmonasticsuperiorsofbothsexesillustratesthe extenttowhichmenandwomensharedsimilarexperiencesastheynegotiatedthecomplexitiesof providingspiritualinstructionto,andexercisingauthorityover,theircommunities.Her correspondencewithotherfemalesuperiors,inparticular,israretestimonyastohowsheandother womenunderstoodtheirrolesasleadersandnegotiateditsrequirements.Theteachingconveyedin Hildegardsresponsesstressestheauthorityandobligationsinherentintheroleofsuperior, irrespectiveofgenderexpandingourunderstandingofhowfemaleleadershipininstitutional settingswasperceived. Hildegardscounselinresponsetopeoplestrugglingwiththearduousandworrisomedutiesof leadershipresonatesininterestingwayswithsomerecenttrendsinleadershiptheory.InconcludingI reflectontheparallelsIobserveinHildegardsteachingandonestrandofcurrentthinkingin organisationalleadership,specificallyamindfulmodelofleadershipthatseekstoguideleadersin howtonegotiateinstitutionalpressureswithoutrelinquishingonesspirit.

2.10pm:ConversationandDiscussionofthethemes 2.30AfternoonTea Session2 i. ThelanguageofmysteryinHildegard'sGreening ElizabethEllen: Thewritings,imagesandmusicofHildegardareuniqueinthattheirdeepmysticismisseemingly lockedawayintheirrespectiveartisticandculturallydefinedforms.Thereisamysticism;adeep spiritualitythathastheconceptof'greening'orvirititasascentral.Isthereauniqueformof knowledgethatcouldinformthefeministtheologiesofourpostmoderntimes?Greeningisthe imageofeverflowingcreativity,growthandlifethatmapoutaconceptualterrainthatisakintoour universalhumanexperienceofbirthing.Awomensdiffusesubjectivitycouldbeaplaceofcreative powerinactsofbirthing,ratherthanaplaceofpowerlessness?Relationalpossibilitiesemergeto bringwomenstronglywithintherelationalandcreativesocialorder.GraceJantzenwritesonthe paradigmof'natality'inwhichhumanlife,relationalwaysofbeingandcreativityarecentral.She formsthisasabasisforafeministapproachtothephilosophyofreligion.CarolGilliansethicof carealsohasrelationalityascentraltoawomansspecificityasanempoweredstateinthesocial order.GivinganotheraspecttoIrigaraysdivinewoman. Canessentialismbechallengedandarticulatedanew?Canthiscontributetoourunderstandingof thedeepspiritualitythatexistsinHildegard'swork?

Asacomposer,musicianandartistElizabethEllenhascometobefascinatedbytheworksofHildegardof Bingen.Shesays:WhatIperceiveinthesebeautifulcreationsinword,colour,formandsoundisanaffirmation life.Thereisaspiritualitythatisintendedtohealsothatwecanbeatonewiththeheavensandtheearth.I feelthisstreamtowardswholenessinworkingwithmusictherapyandcounselling.Inapproachingherart,I beginbyaskinghowcanweunderstandit?Whatlanguagecanweuse?Canthisknowledgebewhatweare seekingtoday?Howcanthisdevelopourfeministtheology?

ii.

TheGreeningofHopeChiRhoandtheSpiritualCreative SusanFrykberg TakingasitsstartingpointtheconceptofViriditasgreenness,TheGreeningofHopeChiRhoand theSpiritualCreativeexaminesthispotentconcept,sometimesdescribedas'anearthlyexpressionof theheavenlyinanintegritythatovercomesdualisms',(WikipediaHildegardofBingen),specifically intermsofmodern,christologicallybased,spiritualcreativethinking.InHildegard'sunderstanding, viriditasisametaphorforspiritualandphysicalhealthandisvisibleinthedivineword.Inthisshort presentation,IwillcompareandcontrastsomekeyaspectsofHildegard'snotionofviriditaswith modern,christologicallybasedspiritualandcreativeworkwithinthechurchuniversal.Threeofthe manyapproachestothisvasttopicwillthenbeidentified:thevisualartmovementChrysalisSeed, NewZealand;themysticaltheologyofmoderndaymysticCynthiaBourgeaultandmyownspiritual creativepractices.Thepresentationwillconcludewithanoutlineoffurtherthinkingtobedonein thisarea,andwillaskforsuggestionsfromtheaudience.
SusanFrykbergisacomposerandpoetwhotriestobalancechirhospirituality,creativityandsocialjustice. PreviouslyalecturerinAcousticCommunicationatSimonFraserUniversity,Canada,shequitherjobtoreturnto NewZealandwithherthenthirteenyearoldson,sohecouldgettoknowtohisNewZealandfamilyandsoshe couldstudytheologyandancientlanguages.Afterahiatus,Susanreturnedtocomposingin2002,andher acousticandelectroacousticworkshavebeenperformedinAustralia,ChinaandNewZealand.Susanalsobegan toworkonalternativeliturgiesforchurchescombiningsoundscapes,newmusic,prayerandscripture.Susan alsocoordinatesacollectiveofprofessionalmusicianscalledLettheArtSingwhocometogethertocreate structuredimprovisationaroundhighqualityart.SusancurrentlyresidesinWhanganui,NewZealandwhereshe worksparttimeasachaplainfortheSistersofStJoseph.

iii.

AnneHunt: AndIheardavoicefromheaven,saying...:HildegardofBingenandtheMysteryofTrinity InthispaperwewillexamineHildegardsinsightsintothemysteryoftheTrinity,asrevealedtoherin visions,whichshedescribesasthesourceofinspirationforherworks.Herremarkableinsightsinto themysteryoftheTrinityarenowheremoreclearlyandvividlyexpressedthaninhermuch celebratedilluminationdepictinghervisionoftheTrinity,theexquisiteimageofthemaninsapphire blue,whichoccursinScivias(KnowtheWays)BookII,Chapterii,andintheaccompanying descriptionofthemystery.Itisahighlyinnovativeandextraordinarilysophisticatedimageofthe Trinity,withthefigureofsapphireblue,representingtheincarnateSon,surroundedbytworadiant concentrichaloesoflight,representingFatherandHolySpirit.Thereisarguablynoothervisualization ofthemysteryoftheTrinitythatcompareswithitintermsoftheologicalsophisticationaswellas sheerbeauty.Bynomeansameredecorationtothewrittentext,theilluminationisintegraltoher theology.WewillalsobegintoexploretherelevanceofHildegardsinsightsforusinAustraliatoday.
ProfessorAnneHuntisExecutiveDeanoftheFacultyofTheologyandPhilosphy,AustralianCatholicUniversity. HerbookTrinity:InsightsfromtheMystics(LiturgicalPress,2010)includesagroundbreakingchapteron Hildegardscontributiontothiskeydoctrine.Sheteachessystematictheologyandisinterestedintheplaceof poetryandartinmediatingunderstandingofGod

4.00ConversationandDiscussionoftheThemes 4.30Close.