Stwórca i stworzenie – komentarz do biblijnego opisu stworzenia (Gen. 1–2) w Liber divinorum operum Hildegardy z Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen is one of the dominating characters in the spiritual and social life of the 12th century. Her visionary images and symbols cover the entire world of her times and offer unusual insights into her conception of man and the world around him. The author concentrates on the cosmological and anthropological strands of her thought, trying to find a key to her symbolism. The author shows Hildegard’s symbolic thinking in her commentary on Haexemeron — the process of Creation of the universe during six days. Hildegard presents here three levels of biblical description: literal, allegorical and moral. Hildegard of Bingen is tune with the way of symbolic thinking (typical in her age) about God, human being and the universe. The great scholar of the 12th century, M.D. Chenu describes the period’s nature awakening in the following way: “The simplest but not the least significant evidence of this discovery of nature was their perception of the universe as an entity.” Chenu goes on: “The whole penetrates each of its parts; it is one universe; God conceived it as a unique living being.” In Hildegard’s thought the sacramental character of the universe is discovered and celebrated.