Hildegard of Bingen and Francis of Assisi
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Listening to Christian spirituality carefully and liberatingly for the present is neither simple nor necessarily welcome in pluralistic and secular contexts. This series, intended for respectful existential, secular and pluralistic engagement, promotes a deep conversation about how Christian spiritual heritage matters today. Readers are invited into the art of interpretation with—and beyond—these influential texts and authors, into difficult and urgent questions about how we live well together in a world where no one single vision prevails, but where we help each other clarify what matters most, making a world with room for all spiritual paths promising justice. For the everyday quest to live well together in a world we must equally share, Christian tradition offers spiritual wisdom—and this series offers able guides in recovering that wisdom and suggesting how it can be practiced today.---Tom Beaudoin on the Past Light on Present Life: Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality series
Past Light on Present Life is a brilliantly dynamic series. It weaves together theological frameworks, ethical implications and spiritual mindsets in interpreting texts of numerous great personages in the history of Christian Spirituality. Importantly, in doing so it responds to searing questions of our current age. The genius of the series lies in the precise choices of the original texts at the heart of each concise volume, which provide the key for such pertinent interpretation. These volumes provide much needed fresh insight for experts in the field, as they also will prove invaluable for undergraduate teachers, graduate students, religious seekers and spiritual directors.---Julia D.E. Prinz on the Past Light on Present Life: Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality series
HILDEGARD OF BINGEN
I – Introduction to Hildegard and the Texts | 3
II – The Texts | 15
Hildegard on the Prologue
Selection from Part I, Vision 4
of The Divine Works | 17
Hildegard on Creation
Selection from Part II, Vision 1
of The Divine Works | 39
III – Retrieving Hildegard for Christian Life Today | 59
FRANCIS OF ASSISI
I – Introduction to Francis and the Texts | 73
II – Foundational Texts of Francis | 85
The Earlier Rule | 87
Later Admonition and Exhortation
to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance | 118
The Canticle of Creatures | 129
A Letter to the Entire Order | 133
The Testament | 141
III – Retrieving Francis for Christian Life Today | 147
Further Reading | 161
About the Series | 163
About the Editors | 169