inspired by a liturgical performance during which they occur, Angenendt notes that Seuse’s visions have a sacramental character, and reproduce or reimagine liturgical celebrations but are detached from the performance itself. “Die erzielte Wirkung geschieht letztlich unabhängig von fester liturgischer Form, von sakraler Zeit und geweihtem Ort [The intended effect in the end is accomplished independently from strict liturgical form, from sacred time and holy place].”62 Instead of seeing angels appear during the Sanctus or Mary in response to the Salve regina, Seuse tends to envision heavenly liturgical celebrations during private contemplation. For example, the Servant experiences a vision while meditating between the first two Masses on Christmas.
Des liehten morgens, do man daz frölich gesang von dem veterlichen glanz der ewigen wisheit solt singen ze messe: Lux fulgebit, do waz der diener des morgens in siner kapell in ein stilles rüwli siner ussren sinnen komen. Do waz im vor in einer gesicht, wie er wurdi gefüret in einen kor, da man mess sang.63
On the morning when the joyful song about the paternal radiance of Eternal Wisdom, Lux fulgebit, should be sung at Mass, in the morning in his chapel the Servant came into a quiet silence of his outer senses. It appeared to him in a vision that he was led into a choir where Mass was being sung.
In meditating on the upcoming liturgical service, Seuse envisions celebrating it with an angelic choir that performs music of untold beauty. He sings the Sanctus along with them, but when the Benedictus qui venit begins, he is so overpowered by the beauty of the music that he can no longer stand and sinks to the floor. He comes to as his body hits the ground. Still entranced by the melody, Seuse approaches the altar while singing the angelic Benedictus to himself under his breath. Although Seuse attends a visionary Mass, in reality he is alone in the church and the second Christmas Mass has not yet begun. He sings a Sanctus with the angels but not with his fellow friars. Since he is alone during this experience, his fall and the noise he makes singing to himself do not disturb any communal liturgical celebration.
The fact that Seuse’s miraculous Mass and his uncontrollable response occur in between the communal celebrations on Christmas Day bears even greater significance than Angenendt ascribes to it. Namely, disruption of the communal liturgy by physical responses to divine experience proves a concern for both Tauler and Seuse. The majority of Seuse’s visions end because “der krank lip nit me moht erliden [his frail body could no longer endure it],”64 and he makes an involuntary physical gesture; for example, he sinks to his knees or places a hand over his heart, interrupting his prayer practice.65 Tauler also speaks of people who are “als úber gossen mit innerlicher fröide das der kranke licham die fröide nút enthalten enmag und bricht us mit eigener sunderlicher wise. Und tete er des nút, das blůt breche im lichte zů dem munde us [so overwhelmed by inner joy that the sick body cannot contain the joy and breaks out in strange ways. And if it did not, blood would probably pour out of the mouth].”66 The overwhelming experience of divine joy results in actual physical pressure, which the body will purge in another way if it is not released through cries and wild laughter. Excessive spiritual experience overwhelms the soul and bursts out from the body in jubilation,67 interrupting contemplative prayer or, worse, disrupting the communal liturgy.
These outbursts represent a correlative or even a consequence of the friars’ rejection of quietism. That is to say, if access to God in the ground of the soul leads to virtuous living, then any disorder in this process will necessarily result in disordered behavior and disruption of prayer practice. Although they disapprove of these uncontrolled expressions in principle, Tauler and Seuse both acknowledge them as an initial phase in the slow development of spiritual perfection; for Seuse, it provides “ein reizlicher vorlof [an enticing prelude],”68 and for Tauler, it represents “der erste grat eins inwendigen tugentlichen lebens [the first degree of an inner virtuous life].”69 This disorderly behavior is acceptable for beginners but must be overcome in order to advance in spiritual perfection. Moving beyond this preliminary stage and developing the proper modes of behavior requires discernment.
Order and Discernment
Although the spiritual programs laid out by Tauler and Seuse display different characters, both insist that there is a wrong and a right way to seek spiritual perfection. As Bernhardt and Früh note separately, the two Dominicans both urge true detachment, rechte Gelassenheit, but never use negative adjectives to qualify this mystical virtue. The opposite vices are named rather as false freedom, false passivity, or even Ungelassenheit.70 In order to avoid the disorder of false freedom, one must tread a careful path between outer actions and inner contemplation. Both outer and inner devotions serve the pursuit of true Gelassenheit, provided they are performed in an orderly manner governed by discernment, bescheidenheit.
In the Middle Ages, bescheidenheit meant not modesty but rather prudence, discernment, or discretion. It is etymologically related to underscheidunge, which in Middle High German signifies not only difference itself but also the ability to perceive differences. Underscheidunge would become the technical term for discretio spirituum, discernment of spirits, that is, the ability to tell whether a vision came from God or from the devil.71 A vast literature on this subject would develop in the late fourteenth and the fifteenth century, but Tauler already uses the term unterscheid in discussing the discernment of spirits according to Paul in I Corinthians 12:10.72 Neither Tauler nor Seuse, however, restricts the term to this particular meaning, but instead they associate underscheidunge and bescheidenheit more broadly with order and orderliness as the preconditions for true Gelassenheit and avoidance of heresy.
Seuse frequently associates ordenunge with underscheid and ascribes central importance to these qualities. Indeed, the prologue to the Exemplar states that Seuse’s Vita provides instruction in precisely these virtues, because they are the most necessary but very often lacking. Without discernment and order, those who pursue mystical experience will go astray and become a danger to themselves. For this reason, the prologue tells us, “git es vil gůten underschaid warer und valscher vernúnftekeit und lert, wie man mit rehter ordenhafti zů der blossen warheit eins seligen volkomen lebens sol komen [it provides many good distinctions between true and false reasoning, and it teaches how one shall attain the pure truth of a blessed and perfect life through correct orderliness].”73 The Servant’s life provides a narrative, practical example of how to achieve Gelassenheit through discernment (underschaid) and order (ordenhafti).
These virtues also determine Seuse’s mentorship of Elsbeth Stagel. In advising her to discontinue the ascetic practices she had taken up in imitation of the Desert Fathers and the Servant himself, he insists that prudence must govern ascetic zeal. “Gemeinlich ze sprechen so ist vil bessrer bescheiden strenkheit füren denn unbescheiden [In general, it is much better to pursue prudent than imprudent austerity].”74 Such prudence is necessary because too quick an ascetic advance will result only in a relapse, “wan es geschiht dik, so man der natur ze vil unordenlich ab prichet, daz man ir och dur na ze vil můss unordenlich wider geben [for it often happens that if one withholds too much from one’s nature in a disorderly manner, one must afterwards disorderly give back too much, as well].”75 Only order and prudence lead to sustainable ascetic practice. The extreme castigation the Servant himself had pursued is unsuited to Elsbeth, “wan es diner fröwlichen krankheit und wol geordneten nature nit zů gehöret [because it is not appropriate for your feminine illness and well-ordered nature].”76 Whether or not one agrees with David Tinsley that it is Elsbeth’s frailty and not her gender that constitutes the first criterion,77 the second point is clear. The self-castigation that the beginning Servant performs is meant to order his disordered nature. Imprudent asceticism can only bring Elsbeth’s well-ordered soul into disorder, and the Servant must direct her down a different, prudent path.
This purpose is restated in the final chapter of the Vita as Stagel sums up the instruction she has received through his mentorship.
