St. Hildegard of Bingen

Overview

St. Hildegard of Bingen, known as the "Sibyl of the Rhine," was a remarkable polymath whose intellectual and creative achievements spanned theology, music, medicine, and natural science. Offered to the Church at age eight, she became a Benedictine nun and later an abbess. From early childhood, she experienced mystical visions, which she initially kept secret until, at age 42, she received divine command to write them down. This resulted in her major work "Scivias" (Know the Ways of the Lord). Her writings include the first known description of the female orgasm and the first composed morality play. As a composer, she created some of the most original and ecstatic music of her time, including "Ordo Virtutum," the earliest known liturgical morality play. Her scientific and medical writings, particularly "Physica" and "Causae et Curae," demonstrate remarkable insight into natural healing and human health. She corresponded with popes, emperors, and kings, fearlessly speaking truth to power. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named her a Doctor of the Church, one of only four women to receive this highest theological honor.