SOURCE: Madigan, Shawn. “Hadewijch (Thirteenth Century): I Am All Love's and Love Is All Mine.” In Mystics, Visionaries, and Prophets: A Historical Anthology of Women's Spiritual Writings, edited by Shawn Madigan, C.S.J., pp. 166-90. Minneapolis, Minn.: Fortress Press, 1998.

In the following excerpt, Madigan introduces Hadewijch's love songs and provides background information regarding her status as a thirteenth-century beguine.

Hadewijch probably lived in the thirteenth century, a century of many diverse movements. On the one hand, the papacy had reached a height of political power. On the other hand, the papal office had lost its influence as a spiritual and moral force. There was an increased desire for authentic religious experience among many of the clergy and laity. At the same time, there was an abundance of heretical groups as well. Scholastic theology with its Aristotelian reflections on faith dominated the university scene. A more experiential affective...