If you think the name “Mechthild” sounds a little quaint, you’re right. She lived in the 13th century, but I still think of her as my buddy. She’s better known as Mechthild of Magdeburg, because that’s the German town she lived in. Even though there wasn’t any such thing as blogging on an internet in her day, I get the feeling she would have been blogging with me if she were here today. She was so convinced God gave her something to say, she did everything in her power to get the word out.
She didn’t have to deal with updating blogging technology as I do, but she had to endure far more persecution for writing than I have. I have only a glimpse into why people work so hard to write what they hear. In her case, she felt she was writing to clean up the hypocrisy and self-centeredness of the most “spiritual people” of her era. It was causing people not only to misunderstand God’s message to humanity, but it especially corrupted the minds of the people.
I find an interesting lesson in humility from knowing Mechthild. Even though she stood firm for her rights to speak out, she was an example of medieval women who were barred from all university and church authority. What impresses me is that voices from the margins (like women who suffered intense misogyny) seem to have won out in the long course of history. The mighty clerical leaders have preserved the institution of the Church in varying forms and degrees, but the voice of a woman is the one that seems to have opened the doors to genuine Christian growth.
It’s hard to describe the level of denigration of all women in those days. It was written into canon law, for example, that wife-beating was acceptable. And even in the celibate religious world, the male clergy of her day believed women could hear things from God, but only men could interpret the prophecy to determine whether it was truly from God or from the devil! Women were never allowed to write without a male sponsor who could authorize everything she said. Fortunately Mechthild found a sponsor from the Dominican order, but even he could not protect her from attacks of other men who said her book out to be burned.
Thanks, Mechthild, for inspiring us to be faithful to our God-given messages!
Mechthild hearing the voice of God.
I guess Joan of Arc didn’t know any men who could interpret her hearing God’s Voice. As I recall, the clergy of her day, or the one’s upset with Joan, thought either only men or only male clergy could hear the voice of God.
And don’t forget about Junia, the woman bishop mentioned in Romans 16, whose name was changed to that of a man by “later copyists!”
Here’s a link to the story of Junia:
http://godswordtowomen.org/juniapreato.htm
~eric.
Thanks, Shirley. This information on women, their strengths and their treatment in history, is exactly what I am hungry for.
“The mighty clerical leaders have preserved the institution of the Church in varying forms and degrees, but the voice of a woman is the one that seems to have opened the doors to genuine Christian growth.”
To me this sheds light on the discussion of the hierarchy of organized religion as differentiated from the enlightened individual. It is the lived life that brings progress in the midst of the “mighty clerical leaders” who may be fulfilling their roles in those “varying forms and degrees.”
Thank you, Shirley. I, too, hunger for this awareness of contributions by lesser known individuals.
I find it interesting that the Greek Orthodox church still gives great credence to Thecla as one of the first female apostles. She is also a Roman Catholic Saint. She supposedly traveled with Paul and is credited by the Eastern branch of the church with converting many to the teachings of Jesus. Some links for more information are:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/thecla.html
http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/corinthians/theclabackground.stm
http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol5No2/HV5N2BurrisVanRompay.html