Renaissance

The Renaissance enters the book’s account through the 1513 first printed edition of Scivias, Hildegard of Bingen’s theological work. Its appearance in print, overseen by the humanist Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples, provides a specific Renaissance-era point in the later history of a text that would be repeatedly interpreted and reassessed.

The 1513 Edition

The book identifies 1513 as the year Scivias first appeared in print and describes its editor, Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples, as a prominent Renaissance humanist. This establishes a Renaissance connection through the work’s publication history; the passage does not date Hildegard’s composition of Scivias to this period.

Reception in the Reformation

The account next follows the work’s interpretation into the Reformation. Andreas Osiander wanted to present Hildegard as a Protestant, emphasizing her criticism of Catholic clergy. His reading shows how later religious controversies could reshape the image of an earlier writer and the meaning assigned to her work.

Later Reassessment

Subsequent efforts sought to attribute Scivias to Volmer or another male writer. The book then notes a renewed interest in Hildegard during the twentieth century, alongside continuing scholarly efforts to understand her. The Renaissance printing is thus one dated point in a longer history of publication, reinterpretation, and renewed study.