A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

226 susanne ruge
in the Vite mer. that prepares one for eternal life, and in order to attain
salvation, one needs a certain understanding.
The formulae speak of a “good understanding”, bone scientie, which can
also be translated as “knowledge or understanding of the good.” “Good
understanding” is the knowledge that can lead a person to a good, earthly
life, and thus to eternal life. Each of the various elements of the Vite mer.
has its place in this knowledge of the good. The representations of virtues
and vices offfer the reader a possibility for self-examination and also present
models of behavior; the presentations of the afterlife serve as deterrents
and as motivations for penitence; the catalogues of penance provide
additional information about the latter. However, these elements alone
are not sufffijicient for understanding the good. Practically all dogmatic topics
are discussed in conjunction with the interpretations of the Man in
the Cosmos: it is here that penance is presented within the context of the
entirety of theology and salvation history.
Interpretations of the Figure of the Man in the Cosmos—
Summa theologiae in a Single Image
In general, Hildegard’s visionary works maintain a focus on the entirety of
theology. The visionary image in the Vite mer. provides the structure for a
Summa that also explains this whole.
The theology of the Vite mer. is based on the foundational conflict
between good and evil, which is depicted primarily as the opposition
between light and darkness and between the discourse (or speech) of God
and the devil. All aspects of theology, such as the teachings about creation,
Christology, eschatology, etc., are organized within the structure of
this conflict, and the order in which these theological topoi are discussed
is directed by the image.
During the explication of this foundational conflict, it is revealed that
the Vite mer. can be subdivided once again into three large supra- chapters
according to content. Parts one and two have a diffferent content and
focus than parts three and four, and part fijive also displays a further shift
in focus. This tripartite division corresponds to the structure of the image:
parts one and two concern the head and torso of the Man in the Cosmos,
which are enveloped by pure ether and a shining cloud; the thighs
and calves of parts three and four, in contrast, are surrounded by the air
and the earth. Earth and air are among the spheres that directly surround
humanity, whereas the two higher spheres, in particular that of pure
ether, are distant from human cognition. These perceptional diffferences