Gestes ascétiques: le corps et sa voix. Le cas de la mystique Mechthild de Magdebourg (xiii e siècle)‪

Das FliePende Licht der Gottheit, written by the mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg, strikes the reader by the immediacy of its words and by the fact that the unity of the work is characterized by a variety of literary forms. The effect of this paradox has often been interpreted as characteristic of its female author's lack of education and culture. This article seeks to trace the polyphony of voices used by Mechthild up to the point where the distinction between the literal meaning and the language filled with images of spiritual sensuality reintroduces the corporeal notion of voice. The result is a complex and unique theological epistemology that goes beyond the spoken concept of the confession.