The Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Book - by Annette Esser (Paperback)

About the Book

"This book describes the ten stages of the Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Way, a 140-kilometer path from Idar-Oberstein via Disibodenberg and Sponheim to St. Hildegard's Abbey in Eibingen on the Rhine. It also provides information about Hildegard's life and her theological, musical, medical, and botanic works, with accompanying biblical texts and meditative poems"--

Book Synopsis

2023 Catholic Media Association First Place Award, Pilgrimages/Catholic Travel

The Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Way is a new path that invites pilgrims from all over the world to walk along the historic sites where the saint lived in the twelfth century. The route leads pilgrims on 140 kilometers (87 miles) from Idar-Oberstein via Disibodenberg and Sponheim to St. Hildegard's Abbey in Eibingen on the Rhine. It is a path through a fascinating Central European landscape, into Hildegard's visionary work, into one's own spirituality, and into God.

The Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Book directs you along the way, offering short descriptions of each of the ten stages. It also provides profound information about Hildegard's life and her theological, musical, medical, and botanical works. Biblical texts and meditative poems are included to offer you additional inspiration, furthering the potential for your own spiritual discoveries in the company of Hildegard.

Review Quotes

"The work is the fruit of decades of research. It is a quite attractive publication replete with full color reproductions of images from Hildegard's texts, maps, and four-color photos of the natural environment in which Hildegard and her monastic communities were founded and flourished."
Catholic Books Review-- (7/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"It is a quite attractive publication replete with full color reproductions of images from Hildegard's texts, maps, and four-color photos of the natural environment in which Hildegard and her monastic communities were founded and flourished."
Catholic Books Review-- (2/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"If you are a real Hildegard enthusiast, this work should probably be in your library. If you plan to make the pilgrimage, this handbook would unquestionably enhance your experience."
Cistercian Studies Quarterly-- (11/7/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Lace up your hiking boots for an inspiring walk through the land of Hildegard of Bingen. Medieval saint and doctor of the church, Hildegard's eco-spirituality is increasingly attractive to contemporary readers. This amazing volume outlines a pilgrimage of key places in her life and ministry. It is complete with maps and pictures, readings and reflection questions. Tuck this in your backpack as you go, or enjoy it from the comfort of your easy chair."
WATER-- (7/20/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Beyond its use as a pilgrimage guidebook, the book easily lends itself as a resource for guided personal reflection and retreat use. It is accessible for those who are new to the richness of Hildegard of Bingen and enriching for those who have traveled with her for years. The wisdom of this twelfth-century mystic has much to share with those on spiritual journeys today."
Magistra

"This guidebook somehow captures the places in all of their travel-guide detail without making you feel you're missing anything by not walking on the same cobblestone streets and alleyways. All you need is your imagination to enter the experience."
Spirituality & Practice

About the Author

Annette Esser, PhD, is the initiator of the Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Way in Germany, editor of the fifty-nine tableaux along the way, and author of this pilgrimage book. Born in Cologne, Germany, Annette Esser has studied Catholic and Protestant theology at Münster University, Germany, and at Union Theological Seminary, New York; she holds a doctorate in theology from Radboud University, The Netherlands. As a teacher, artist, and theologian, she is the foundress and president of the Scivias Institute for Art & Spirituality, a nonprofit organization for artists, theologians, and therapists. Her artwork includes the Hildegard sculpture made from clay as seen on the Hildegard of Bingen pilgrimage passport and book.