Mysticism and the Middle Ages (1100 CE – 1500 CE)
Discover the high point of medieval theology. This era produced the great scholastic synthesis of St Thomas Aquinas alongside the profound mystical writings of St Bernard, Julian of Norwich, and St Catherine of Siena. Head and heart together sought the face of God.
Theology: 1100-1500 CE
Scholastics, Mystics andthe Medieval Synthesis
The High Middle Ages witnessed an extraordinary flowering of theological thought. The new universities of Paris, Oxford, and Bologna became centres of rigorous inquiry, while the mendicant orders - Franciscans and Dominicans - produced theologians who combined academic brilliance with evangelical poverty.
St Thomas Aquinas achieved the greatest synthesis of faith and reason in Christian history. His Summa Theologiae remains the pinnacle of scholastic achievement, integrating Aristotelian philosophy with Catholic doctrine. St Bonaventure offered a complementary Franciscan vision, emphasising the soul's journey into God through love and contemplation.
Alongside the scholastics flourished the mystics: St Bernard of Clairvaux preached the love of God with burning eloquence; St Hildegard of Bingen received visions and composed music; Julian of Norwich meditated on divine love in her anchorhold; and St Catherine of Siena counselled popes while experiencing mystical union with Christ. Together, they showed that theology is not merely academic but transformative.
At a Glance
Thomas Aquinas
The Angelic Doctor achieved the supreme synthesis of faith and reason, showing that philosophy serves theology without replacing it.
The Mystics
Bernard, Hildegard, Julian, and Catherine explored the heights of contemplative prayer and divine love.
The Universities
Paris, Oxford, and Bologna became crucibles of theological debate where faith sought ever deeper understanding.
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
JO
Julian of Norwich
Revelations of Divine Love, c. 1395
The Perennial Philosophy
The medieval synthesis of faith and reason remains a living tradition. Thomistic philosophy continues to guide Catholic thought, while the mystics still teach us how to pray.