Stephen Borgehammar

The Revelations of St. Birgitta of Sweden: Volume I

St. Birgitta of Sweden (1303-1373, canonized 1391) was one of the most charismatic and influential female visionaries of the later Middle Ages. Altogether, she received some 700 revelations. They deal with a variety of subjects, from meditations on the human condition, domestic affairs in Sweden, and ecclesiastical matters in Rome, to revelations in praise of the Incarnation and devotion to the Virgin. Her Revelations, collected and ordered by her confessors, circulated widely throughout Europe and long after her death. Many eminent individuals, including Cardinal Juan Torqemada and Martin Luther, read and commented on her writings, which influenced the spiritual lives of countless individuals. Birgitta was also the founder of a new contemplative order, which still exists. She is the patron saint of Sweden, and in 2000 was declared (with Catherine of Siena and Edith Stein) the first co-patroness of Europe. This new translation in four volumes, supported by the Tercentenary Foundation of the Swedish National Bank, is based on the newly available, definitive Latin edition. It will be the first translation of the complete work into English. Interest in Birgitta's Revelations has grown over the past decade. Historians and theologians draw on them for insights into late medieval spirituality, artistic imagery, political struggles, and social life. Scholars of literature study them to gain knowledge of rhetorical strategies employed in late medieval texts by women. Philologists analyze them to enhance understanding of the historical development of Latin and medieval Swedish. Increasingly, Birgitta is also admired and studied as a powerful female voice and prophet of reform. The publication of this translation will make this important text available to a much wider cross-section of scholars and students, and to those who are interested in her spiritual insights. The editors will provide an extensive introduction outlining the major characteristics of Brigitta's spirituality, her life and work, her style and use of sources, and the main features of her theology. The subsequent volumes are projected to appear at two-year intervals.