S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 4 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 1 8 3 Hanneke Arts-Honselaar 1 Presentation of the Research My thesis Ende that manen es eweleke euen nuwe examines the formulation of content and significance of the Trinity concept in the Letters of Hadewych. In addition, it situates Hadewych’s Trinity concept in relation to the theology and mysticism of her time. Hadewych is an exponent of medieval women’s mysticism. Dinzelbacher notes in his Mittelalterliche Frauenmystik that the texts of these religious women were used mystagogical (Dinzelbacher 1993, 308). To understand the texts of these religious women it is therefore of great importance to involve the experiences of these women as is described by themselves in their texts. Because the reading of the texts of Hadewych, and the previous study on the concept of self-respect (fierheit) in her works (J. T. Arts-Honselaar 1997), has made it clear that Hadewych’s mysticism is dynamic in nature. I therefore searched for a method that could optimally express this dynamism. This required a method that would ensure openness to the dynamism of the text. To this end, it was chosen for the hermeneutics of Gadamer as applied by Philip Sheldrake to the interpretation of spiritual and mystical texts (Sheldrake 1991, 172–175). The basic rules of this hermeneutics and its application within the dissertation can be described as follows: 1. Understanding of a historical spiritual text can only be successful when the one who interprets this text both the historical genesis of the text, its effect in tradition and its own interpretation horizon involves in the process. 2. Spiritual texts may be seen as classical spiritual texts that contain an “excess of meaning”. This meaning goes far beyond the original and time phased intention of authors. 3. The structure of the text is the key to how the text works because the structure is closely linked to the dynamics that are embodied by a text. 4. A spiritual text is a precipitation of an experience. The text itself seeks to recall this experience with the reader. 5. The text itself plays a normative role within the discussion that is being conducted with the text. Regarding to the reading of the text, this means that the text itself determines the questions to the text. In order to ensure the above mentioned methodical guidelines the research was carried out in two movements: a subAbout the author Dr. Hanneke Arts-Honselaar (1970) graduated in theology and religious studies at the Catholic University of Nijmegen (Holland) with special interest in Dutch Mysticism. She was a research coordinator at the Theology Faculty of the University of Tilburg and PR employee at the Catholic Association for Ecumenism (Katholieke Vereniging voor Oecumene). She contributed at research projects of the Dominican Research Center (Dominicaans Studiecentrum) and the Tilburg School for Politics and Public Administration (Tilburgse School voor Politiek en Bestuur). She was a staff member of the project group “Belief and economical participation” at the rural desk DISK and office manager of the Sint Jan in ’s-Hertogenbosch. At present she is the owner of the Het Bezinningsbureau, www.bezinningsbureau.nl. Her email contact is Hanneke@bezinningsbureau.nl.
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