Thousands and Thousands of Lovers: Sense of Community among the Nuns of Helfta by Anna Harrison (review)

• Published in: Spiritus Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 354 - 355
• Main Author: Lee, Andrew K
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 01.10.2023
• Subjects: 13th century; Liturgy; Monasteries; Nuns; Religion; Rites & ceremonies; Spirituality; Theology
• ISSN: 1533-1709; 1535-3117; 1535-3117
• DOI: 10.1353/scs.2023.a909119

The Helfta literature is replete with experiences of liturgy and communal prayers; some of the visions even occur during services. Since liturgy was a communal activity, the nuns could support each other through it, the enthusiasm of one sister making up for the ennui of another from day to day. There is a sense in the Helfta literature that the dead in purgatory were still integral members of the community; the nuns' prayers for them helped both the dead and the living make spiritual progress, and the experiences of the dead (as revealed through visions) continually taught the nuns how to improve their relationships in the monastery. Harrison makes a compelling case for reading the Helfta literature through the lens of community and dives deeply into what community meant to the residents of the Helfta monastery. [...]Thousands opens the life of that community for the reader, illuminating and animating this history.