The Church in the World - The Embraced, the Rejected, and the Subdued - Beguines
3 important questions on The Church in the World - The Embraced, the Rejected, and the Subdued - Beguines
Who are the Beguines? What did they do?
- The Beguines, pious women who lived together, were even more integral to town life than the friars.
- In the cities of northern France, the Low Countries, and Germany, the Beguines worked as launderers, weavers, and spinners.
- Choosing to live in informal communities, taking no vows, and free to marry if they liked, they dedicated themselves to simplicity and prayer.
What did Mary of Oignies seek?
Some were mystics, seeking union with God. Mary of Oignies (1177-1213), for example, imagined herself with the Christ Child, who "nestled between her breasts like a baby... Sometimes she kissed him as though he were a little child, and sometimes she held him on her lap as if he were a gentle lamb."
Among who were the Beguines popular? Among who was it impopular?
- The beguines were popular among the laity and were particularly supported by pious women.
- Churchmen tended to be less enthusiastic, for beguinages were not enclosed, implying sexual mischief to the suggestible.
- Furthermore, beguine mysticism sometimes overran the bounds of official theology and led to accusation of heresy.
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