Quiz for Hildegard of Bingen: The Voice of the Living Light

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Document 9.1 Document 9.2 Document 9.3

Quiz for Hildegard of Bingen: The Voice of the Living Light

Question 9.1

1. In her letter to Bernard of Clairvaux (see Document 9.1), Hildegard of Bingen presented herself as

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is d. Hildegard claimed to have had no formal intellectual training, but to know only those things that she had been taught inwardly by the Spirit of God.
Incorrect. The answer is d. Hildegard claimed to have had no formal intellectual training, but to know only those things that she had been taught inwardly by the Spirit of God.

Question 9.2

2. Which of these describes a key difference between Hildegard of Bingen's letter to Bernard of Clairvaux and her letter to Pope Eugenius III (see Documents 9.1 and 9.2)?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is a. In her letter to Pope Eugenius III, Hildegard betrayed no doubt at all about the truthfulness of her visions or the importance of their publication.
Incorrect. The answer is a. In her letter to Pope Eugenius III, Hildegard betrayed no doubt at all about the truthfulness of her visions or the importance of their publication.

Question 9.3

3. In the following passage from Hildegard's writings, who is the king and who is the feather (see Document 9.2)?: "A mighty king sat in his palace, surrounded by great columns girt with golden bands and beautifully adorned with many pearls and precious stones. It pleased this king to touch a small feather so that it flew miraculously, and a powerful wind sustained it so that it would not fall."

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is b. Through this analogy, Hildegard sought to describe Pope Eugenius's role in publicizing and promoting her visions.
Incorrect. The answer is b. Through this analogy, Hildegard sought to describe Pope Eugenius's role in publicizing and promoting her visions.

Question 9.4

4. In her letter to the prelates of Mainz (see Document 9.3), Hildegard juxtaposed the authority of the prelates with the authority of

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is a. Uneasy about the prelates' demands, Hildegard looked to the "True Light" for guidance and direction.
Incorrect. The answer is a. Uneasy about the prelates' demands, Hildegard looked to the "True Light" for guidance and direction.

Question 9.5

5. Hildegard's letter to the prelates of Mainz (see Document 9.3) is best described as

A.
B.
C.
D.

Correct. The answer is d. Hildegard's conclusion to the letter makes her stance clear, as she describes herself as a "female warrior battling against injustice so that it might fall defeated."
Incorrect. The answer is d. Hildegard's conclusion to the letter makes her stance clear, as she describes herself as a "female warrior battling against injustice so that it might fall defeated."