In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Hildegard of Bingen (c. 1098–1179), a German Benedictine abbess who stands as one of the most significant figures of the High Middle Ages. Known as the "Sibyl of the Rhine," Hildegard was a true polymath: a mystic, composer, philosopher, medical writer, and the founder of scientific natural history in Germany.

Join us as we discuss:

• A Visionary Life: How Hildegard experienced visions of the "Shade of the Living Light" from the age of three, eventually receiving a divine command at age 42 to record what she saw and heard, leading to her famous theological work, Scivias.

• Breaking Barriers: Her election as magistra in 1136 and her bold fight against her abbot to move her community of nuns to an in ...