Bingenli Hildegard: Orta Çağlı bir Hıristiyan mistiğin perspektifinden ‘Öteki’ algısı
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Date
2019-04-07
Authors
Temiztürk, Halil
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Publisher
Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi
Abstract
Orta Çağlı bir kadın mistik olan Bingenli Hildegard, düşünceleri ve eserleri ile Hıristiyan mistisizmine günümüze kadar etki etmiştir. Hildegard, kilise müzikleri ve bitkisel ilaç tedavileri gibi bilimsel eserleri yanında mistik öğretileri ile de adından söz ettirmiştir. Hildegard, her ne kadar hayatının çoğunu manastırlarda geçirmiş olsa da Papa’dan İmparator’a kadar birçok önemli insanla yakın ilişkiler kurmuştur. Hildegard, Haçlı Seferleri’nin başladığı bir dönemde yaşamıştır. Ayrıca bu dönemde Hıristiyanlar, Kilise tarafından heretik olarak kabul edilen gruplara karşı mücadeleye girişmiştir. Hildegard da bu gelişmelere kayıtsız kalmamıştır. Örneğin vaazlarında heretiklerle mücadele etmek gerektiğini belirtmiştir; ayrıca Haçlı Seferleri’ne vaazları ile destek veren Clairvauxlu Bernard gibi din adamlarını, gönderdiği mektuplarla teşvik etmiştir. Bu olaylar Orta Çağlı bir mistiğin yaşadığı dönemin koşullarından etkilenmesini göstermesi bakımından dikkat çekicidir. Çalışmada bu perspektiften Hildegard’ın Yahudiler, heretikler ve Müslümanlardan oluşan “öteki” algısı ele alınacaktır.
Hildegard of Bingen, a female mystic of the Middle Ages, has influenced Christian mysticism with her thoughts and works. She is known for her scientific interests and mystical teachings such as herbal treatment and church music. Although Hildegard spent most of her life in the monasteries, she established close relationships with many prominent personalities, from the Pope to the Emperor. Hildegard lived at the beginning of the Crusades era. At the same time, Christians began to fight against groups that were considered heretical by the mainstream Church. Therefore, she was aware of the political and theological development of the time. She, for example, stated in her preaching that the heretics had to be fought. She also encouraged, with her letters, a mystic and theologian Bernard of Clairvaux, who supported the Crusades with his sermons. These developments are remarkable in that they point out that Hildegard, a Middle Ages mystic, was affected by the conditions of the period. From the above-mentioned perspective, the article discusses Hildegard’s perception of "other", composed of Jews, heretics, and Muslims.
Hildegard of Bingen, a female mystic of the Middle Ages, has influenced Christian mysticism with her thoughts and works. She is known for her scientific interests and mystical teachings such as herbal treatment and church music. Although Hildegard spent most of her life in the monasteries, she established close relationships with many prominent personalities, from the Pope to the Emperor. Hildegard lived at the beginning of the Crusades era. At the same time, Christians began to fight against groups that were considered heretical by the mainstream Church. Therefore, she was aware of the political and theological development of the time. She, for example, stated in her preaching that the heretics had to be fought. She also encouraged, with her letters, a mystic and theologian Bernard of Clairvaux, who supported the Crusades with his sermons. These developments are remarkable in that they point out that Hildegard, a Middle Ages mystic, was affected by the conditions of the period. From the above-mentioned perspective, the article discusses Hildegard’s perception of "other", composed of Jews, heretics, and Muslims.
Description
İnsanlar sosyal varlıklardır ve insanın toplum içindeki sosyolojik konumunu belirleyen en önemli etkenlerin başında din gelmektedir. Bireylerin kendi dindaşları dışındakilere karşı tutumlarında bu sosyolojik şartlar etkili olmaktadır. Orta Çağ Hıristiyan mistisizmi de bunun bir örneğini teşkil etmektedir. Çalışmamızda konu edindiğimiz Hildegard, Haçlı Seferlerinin başladığı bir dönemde yaşamıştır. Ayrıca bu dönemde Hristiyanlar, Kilise tarafından heretik olarak kabul edilen gruplara karşı mücadeleye girişmiştir. Hildegard da bu gelişmelere kayıtsız kalmamıştır. Diğer bir ifadeyle bu dönem Katharlar, Yahudiler ve Müslümanların heretik ve kâfirler olarak tanımlandığı bir zaman dilimidir. Bu kabul dönemin diğer mistiklerini de etkilemiştir. Örneğin Clairvauxlu Bernard bir mistik olmasına rağmen Haçlı Seferlerini organize etmiş ve bunu destekleyecek vaazlar vermiştir. Çalışmanın amacı bu dinî ve sosyolojik ortamda Orta Çağlı bir mistiğin Kiliseden farklı bir politika izlemediğini ortaya koymaktır. Hıristiyan mistisizmi son yıllarda etkisi artan bir alandır. Ülkemizde ise Hıristiyan mistisizmi ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalara daha sınırlıdır. Bingenli Hildegard ile ilgili ise Haydar Akın’ın Ortaçağdan Bilge Bir Kadın: Bingenli Azize Hildegard adlı eseri dışında bir çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Makalemizde Hildegard’ın Scivias, the Book of the Rewards of Life ve Book of Divine Works adlı eserlerinden oluşan üçlemesinden yararlandık. Bu eserlerdeki heretikler, paganlar, Yahudiler ve bizzat isim olarak anılmasa da Müslümanlara işaret eden ifadeleri taradık. Bu eserler dışında Hildegard’ın dönemin önemli mistiklerinden birisi Clairvauxlu Bernard’a yazdığı mektupları araştırdık. Böylece Bernard ile Hildegard’ın “öteki” algısının irtibatını tespit etmeye çalıştık. Ayrıca onun öteki algısını oluşturan siyasi, sosyal ve dini bağlantıların izini sürdük. Hildegard’ın yaşadığı dönemdeki öteki algısının daha çok olumsuz örnekler içerdiğini söyleyebiliriz. Çünkü Haçlı Seferleri, Katharlar gibi heretik sayılan gruplarla mücadele ve cadı avı gibi olaylar Orta Çağ’ın ötekine olan bakışını şekillendirecek hadiselerdir. Yine bu dönemde Müslümanların Avrupa üzerindeki egemenlikleri tedirginlik yaratırken diğer taraftan özellikle Almanya, Fransa gibi ülkelerdeki Yahudilere karşı ötekileştirme politikası gelişmeye başlamıştır. Hildegard’ın diğer inanç sahipleri hakkındaki görüşleri de bu olaylardan etkilenmiştir. Hildegard’ın Papa ve Bernard ile yakın temas halinde olması da onun Kilise çizgisinde bir teoloji geliştirdiği göstermektedir. Bu teolojin bir parçası da öteki algısıdır. Örneğin Hildegard’ın eserlerinde pagan tehlikesine karşı sık sık dile getirdiği uyarılar, bu dönemde Hıristiyanlıktan putperestliğe geri dönüşleri azaltmaya yöneliktir. Zira bu dönemde Hıristiyanlık yaygınlık kazanmış olsa da Kilise kurumunun ve Hildegard gibi mistiklerin paganizmin yeniden canlanmasına karşı mücadele ettiklerini söylemek mümkündür. Hildegard, Hıristiyanlığın dayanmış olduğu teolojik ve tarihi bağdan dolayı Yahudi mirası hakkında daha olumlu düşüncelere sahiptir. Ancak Hildegard, İsa’yı kabul etmeyip çarmıha gönderdikleri için, Yahudileri sert bir şekilde eleştirmektedir. Diğer taraftan Hildegard Yahudilik ile Hıristiyanlığın merhamet noktasında ayrıldığını düşünmektedir. O, İsa’yı şeriatın sertliğini hafifleten olarak görmektedir. Böylece İsa’nın, şeriata vurgu yapan Yahudilik ve Eski Ahit’i revize ettiğine işaret etmeye çalışmıştır. Hildegard’a göre Yahudilik ile Hıristiyanlık arasındaki farklardan diğeri ise Yahudiliğin dünyaya dönük bir din iken Hıristiyanlığın asketizm ve manastır ile ruhaniyet kazandığıdır. Hildegard’ın mektuplarında ve vizyonlarında üzerinde durduğu diğer bir grup da heretiklerdir. Hildegard isim olarak Katharlar’ı anmasa da bahsettiği özelliklerin bu heretik grubu işaret ettiği ortadadır. Hildegard gittikçe faaliyetlerini artıran heretik tehlikesine eserlerinde sık sık yer vermiştir. Çıktığı vaaz turlarında da rahipleri ve halkı heretiklere karşı uyarmıştır. Hildegard, heretiklerin artışını şeytanın dipsiz kuyulardan çıkması olarak algılamış ve onların getireceği yıkım için Kilise’yi uyarmıştır. Hildegard, İslam’a veya Müslümanlara bir bölüm veya başlık ayırmamıştır. Hildegard, Müslümanların inanç bakımından Yahudiler gibi “kuru” olduğunu belirterek onları “saman”, “tüy” ve “tahta” gibi eşyalara benzetmiştir. Hildegard, Müslümanlar için “sarazen” veya başka bir isim kullanmamış ve onları “paganlar” arasına yerleştirmiştir.
People are social beings, and religion is one of the important factors determining the sociological position of people in society. These sociological conditions affect people’s attitudes toward other believers. The medieval Christian mysticism is an example of this effect. During this period, Christians began to fight against groups that were considered heretical by the Church. Hildegard, who lived in the time of Crusades, was aware of these developments. In other words, this is a period in which Cathars, Jews, and Muslims are defined as heretics and infidels. This attitude affected other mystics. Bernard of Clairvaux, for example, who was one of the leaders of the second Crusade, was a mystic. Our study aims is to reveal that Hildegard, as a medieval Christian mystic, does not follow a different policy from the Church in this religious and sociological environment. The area of Christian mysticism has attracted more attention in recent years. However, studies on Christian mysticism in Turkey are limited. There is no study about Hildegard of Bingen except a book entitled Ortaçağdan Bilge Bir Kadın: Bingenli Azize Hildegard (A Wise Lady from the Middle Ages: St. Hildegard of Bingen) by Haydar Akın. In this study, I have benefited from the trilogy of Hildegard’s Works, which consists of Scivias, the Book of the Rewards and the Book of Divine Works. I have examined some expressions in these works such as heretics, pagans, Jews, and expressions that refer to Muslims although their names were not explicitly mentioned. Apart from these works, I have also examined the letters Hildegard wrote to Bernard of Clairvaux, one of the most important mystics of the time. Thus, I have tried to determine the connection between Bernard’s perception of “other" and that of Hildegard’s. We also tracked down the political, social and religious connections that formed her perception of “other”. It can be argued that the perception of “other” contains more negative connotations in Hildegard’s time. Because the events such as the Crusades, witch hunting, and the fight against heretic groups like Cathars were the events that shaped the Medieval Church’s perception of other. Muslims’ sovereignty over Europe also created uneasiness on Christians. Besides, Christian pressure over Jews increased in some countries such as Germany and France. All these developments may have influenced Hildegard's view of other. Hildegard’s close contact with the Pope and Bernard shows that she developed a theology parallel to that of the Church. The perception of "the other" is also part of this theology. For example, her warning of the pagan thread that she frequently expressed in her works aimed to reduce the return from Christianity to paganism. Although Christianity became widespread during this period, it is possible to say that the Church and mystics such as Hildegard fought against the revival of paganism. Hildegard had a relatively positive view of Judaism since Christianity has a historical and theological connection with Judaism. However, Hildegard harshly criticized the Jews because they did not accept Jesus, and crucified him. On the other hand, Hildegard thought that Judaism and Christianity differed about mercy. In her opinion, Jesus eased the hardship of religious laws. Thus, she pointed out that Jesus revised Judaism and the Old Testament, which emphasized adherence to religious rules. According to Hildegard, one of the differences between Judaism and Christianity is that Judaism is a world-oriented religion, but Christianity gained spirituality through asceticism and monastic life. Another group that Hildegard mentioned in her letters and visions is the Christian heretics. Although Hildegard does not mention the Cathars by name, it is clear from her account that she aims this group in her criticism of heretics. Hildegard often mentions the danger of heretics, whose activities had increased in Europe. She warned the clergy and the laypeople about the danger of heretics in her sermons. Hildegard perceived the rise of the heretics as the devil coming out of the bottomless pits, and warned about the destruction they might bring to the Church. In her books, Hildegard did not assign a special chapter or title to Muslims and Islam. Stating that Muslims, like the Jews, were “dry” in terms of their faith, Hildegard compared Muslims to items such as “hay”, “feather” and “wood”. She did not use the word “Sarazen” or any other name for Muslims and placed them among pagans.
People are social beings, and religion is one of the important factors determining the sociological position of people in society. These sociological conditions affect people’s attitudes toward other believers. The medieval Christian mysticism is an example of this effect. During this period, Christians began to fight against groups that were considered heretical by the Church. Hildegard, who lived in the time of Crusades, was aware of these developments. In other words, this is a period in which Cathars, Jews, and Muslims are defined as heretics and infidels. This attitude affected other mystics. Bernard of Clairvaux, for example, who was one of the leaders of the second Crusade, was a mystic. Our study aims is to reveal that Hildegard, as a medieval Christian mystic, does not follow a different policy from the Church in this religious and sociological environment. The area of Christian mysticism has attracted more attention in recent years. However, studies on Christian mysticism in Turkey are limited. There is no study about Hildegard of Bingen except a book entitled Ortaçağdan Bilge Bir Kadın: Bingenli Azize Hildegard (A Wise Lady from the Middle Ages: St. Hildegard of Bingen) by Haydar Akın. In this study, I have benefited from the trilogy of Hildegard’s Works, which consists of Scivias, the Book of the Rewards and the Book of Divine Works. I have examined some expressions in these works such as heretics, pagans, Jews, and expressions that refer to Muslims although their names were not explicitly mentioned. Apart from these works, I have also examined the letters Hildegard wrote to Bernard of Clairvaux, one of the most important mystics of the time. Thus, I have tried to determine the connection between Bernard’s perception of “other" and that of Hildegard’s. We also tracked down the political, social and religious connections that formed her perception of “other”. It can be argued that the perception of “other” contains more negative connotations in Hildegard’s time. Because the events such as the Crusades, witch hunting, and the fight against heretic groups like Cathars were the events that shaped the Medieval Church’s perception of other. Muslims’ sovereignty over Europe also created uneasiness on Christians. Besides, Christian pressure over Jews increased in some countries such as Germany and France. All these developments may have influenced Hildegard's view of other. Hildegard’s close contact with the Pope and Bernard shows that she developed a theology parallel to that of the Church. The perception of "the other" is also part of this theology. For example, her warning of the pagan thread that she frequently expressed in her works aimed to reduce the return from Christianity to paganism. Although Christianity became widespread during this period, it is possible to say that the Church and mystics such as Hildegard fought against the revival of paganism. Hildegard had a relatively positive view of Judaism since Christianity has a historical and theological connection with Judaism. However, Hildegard harshly criticized the Jews because they did not accept Jesus, and crucified him. On the other hand, Hildegard thought that Judaism and Christianity differed about mercy. In her opinion, Jesus eased the hardship of religious laws. Thus, she pointed out that Jesus revised Judaism and the Old Testament, which emphasized adherence to religious rules. According to Hildegard, one of the differences between Judaism and Christianity is that Judaism is a world-oriented religion, but Christianity gained spirituality through asceticism and monastic life. Another group that Hildegard mentioned in her letters and visions is the Christian heretics. Although Hildegard does not mention the Cathars by name, it is clear from her account that she aims this group in her criticism of heretics. Hildegard often mentions the danger of heretics, whose activities had increased in Europe. She warned the clergy and the laypeople about the danger of heretics in her sermons. Hildegard perceived the rise of the heretics as the devil coming out of the bottomless pits, and warned about the destruction they might bring to the Church. In her books, Hildegard did not assign a special chapter or title to Muslims and Islam. Stating that Muslims, like the Jews, were “dry” in terms of their faith, Hildegard compared Muslims to items such as “hay”, “feather” and “wood”. She did not use the word “Sarazen” or any other name for Muslims and placed them among pagans.
Keywords
Hıristiyanlık, Kilise, Mistisizm, Orta Çağ, Hildegard, Christianity, Church, Mysticism, Middle Age, Hildegard of Bingen
Citation
Temiztürk, H. (2019). “Bingenli Hildegard: Orta Çağlı bir Hıristiyan mistiğin perspektifinden ‘Öteki’ algısı”. Oksident: Yahudilik, Hıristiyanlık ve Batı Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 23-39.