Hostia jubilationis
Psalm Citation, Eucharistic Prayer, and Mystical Union in Gertrude of Helfta's Exercitia spiritualia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10770544 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claire Taylor Jones (0000-0002-0541-6510, University of Notre Dame, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1005-1039 |
| Publication date | 2014-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Speculum (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-7134 • E-ISSN: 2040-8072 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0038713414001663 |
| OpenAlex | W2154224945 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
The Benedictine convent of Helfta constituted a major center both of female learning and of female piety in Germany during the High Middle Ages. Three of the convent's women are now and were at the time recognized as important mystics of the late thirteenth century: Mechthild of Magdeburg (1210–82), Mechthild of Hackeborn (1241/2–1298) and Gertrude of Helfta (1256–1301/2). None of these women was the sole author of the texts recording her spirituality, and the quality of these collaborative writings attests to a generally high degree of education among the nuns of Helfta. The importance of these women for the history of Christian spirituality derives from their role in developing the devotion to the Sacred Heart, as well as their practice of a particular brand of liturgical piety. In particular, the visionary texts of both Mechthild of Hackeborn and Gertrude of Helfta recount innumerable visions and graces received during the Office and the Mass. These experiences were often apparently inspired by focused meditation on a particular aspect of that moment in the liturgy, whether it be a hymn to a particular saint or the celebration of the Eucharist. Many studies of Helfta spirituality have therefore addressed the issue of liturgical embodiment, particularly with respect to eucharistic devotion, and the corresponding concept of Christ's immediate presence not just in the Host but also in the space of liturgical performance
Art · Eucharist · Literature · Liturgy · Mysticism · Piety · Prayer · Spirituality · Theology · Historical, Literary, and Cultural Studies · History · Medicine · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity · Religious studies
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |