The social contexts of The Flowing Light of the Godhead by Mechthild of Magdeburg : The proprietary church, monastic reform and heresy in the 11th century

The Flowing Light of the Godhead by Mechthild of Magdeburg had been treated mainly by interpreting the text. But in order to grasp its character, it is also necessary to research the social context. In this paper three subjects will be treated: the proprietary church, monastic reform and heresy in the 11th century.Although the institution of the proprietary church and cloister contributed significantly to the spread of Christianity throughout Europe,they were also goods to be traded, a hotbed of simony, and destroyed the lives of those cloistered within.Cluny Abbey, which eliminated interference by the rulers, used the institution of the proprietary church and cloister to spread their monastic network. The abbot of Cluny was called “the king of monks”. The actual work of Cluniac monks consisted of chanting the Psalms and Prayers for the salvation of the souls of the departed and of the illustrious living. On the other hand manual labor was abolished to a great extent. Neither the imitation of Christ nor the postolic life is in evidence here.In the 11th century arose heretical groups that seemed to pose a danger to those in power, although these groups only wanted to be good and true Christians, and based their faith mainly on the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The confrontation between the heretics and the Church was a struggle to understand Christianity correctly, to obey it faithfully, and to fully realize the Christian faith.Since the middle of the 11th century the people had come to want to know and state their opinions about serious matters of religion and politics,and this shift was an indispensable precondition both for Mechthild, who could express her opinions on essential issues of dogma, and for her book, which found general acceptance