Publisher's Synopsis
Helfta, a centre of intellectual activity in 13th-century Saxony, was the site of a Cistercian monastery, a religious community that included the mystics Gertrude the Great, Mechtild of Hackeborn and Mechtild of Magdeburg.;Originally published in 1962 under the title "Scholars and Mystics", Mary Jeremy Finnegan's study has been revised and updated to reflect recent scholarhip. Described as a pioneering work in the study of medieval women writers, the book focuses on the women of Helfta whose mystical writings - "The Messenger of God's Loving Kindness", "The Book of Special Grace" and "The Flowing Light of Divinity" - have attracted much scholarly attention.;These writings are valuable as first-hand accounts of the mystical experiences of the Saxon monastic women. They offer insights into the daily difficulties and challenges faced by a community of women who were able to maintain an atmosphere where learning, courtesy and holiness flourished in one of the stormiest periods of German history.
