A contemporary of Saint Dominic, much less renowned than he, but even more radical in her bodily prayer, was Saint Christina, nicknamed “the Astonishing” (1150-1224), who lived all her life in Flanders (now part of Belgium).
Christina was known for climbing up trees and staying there for long stretches of time immersed in prayer. The sources explain her behavior by saying that she could not tolerate the stench of sin — both literally and figuratively.
There might be some truth to both these explanations, but why should we exclude that she was communing with trees? Also, I wonder how she saw the world from the trees and what her prayer was like from such a privileged place.
As in the case of Dominic, the sources confirm that Christina prostrated herself in grief before altars within churches. Yet — unlike Dominic — she was also seen praying with all her limbs curled up. According to eye-witnesses who likely hid to spy on her, she would became like a ball and then, at the end of prayer-time, she would stretch out and walk normally. She was an expert yogi, if you ask me.
Christina threw herself in rivers during winter and managed fire in her hands without getting burned. She ran in the fields and spent long stretches of time alone in the woods. To some, even in her time, these were signs of a deranged mind. She was, in fact, chained at least at two different times. But, again, I can’t take my mind off the hypothesis that she was in deep relationship with the natural elements in ways that others could not understand.
At times, Christina prayed by spinning on herself many times — in a dervish way, it would seem — and after such exercises, being utterly worn out, a beautiful, uncanny, and enchanting melody would come out of her. She would then summon the nuns of the convent where she stayed as a guest, so that all could hear and enjoy her singing, and then join in.
At least one witness saw her entertaining a mystical conversation between her soul and her body. At first, the soul would blame the body, while she was pummeling it. The soul was saying in essence that it (the body) was like a prison to her (the soul). But then the parts would switch. The body would then say to the soul: O wretched soul, why do you torment me? At that point, she would kiss her feet and her limbs repeatedly, saying: Oh sweet body! Why did I beat you? Why did I heap you with abuse?
The issue of madness — to speak frankly — comes up with her much more than with St. Dominic, but I am not going to discuss it. Except than remarking that she was quite coherent in her relationship with other people, and she was much sought after as spiritual counselor — which required her to come down from her beloved trees.
Christina the Astonishing, who truly astonished her contemporaries, embodies probably the most radical case of bodily prayer in Christian premodern times, including her fantastic though embryonic reflection on the goodness of her own body which — according to eye-witnesses — she called excellent and delightful, and kind and patient.
She was also known for her wondrous levitations, which happened at pivotal points of her life, and she reportedly accompanied several souls from purgatory to heaven during her out-of-body travels.
Definitely Christina was not a regular human being, and thus she can hardly be set up as a model. But her life may challenge some of our preconceptions about prayer and how the body can be involved in it. Definitely she was not somebody who could be told by others how to pray.
See Matthew Fox, Whee! We, wee All the Way Home: A Guide to a Sensual, Prophetic, Spirituality.
See also Fox, Prayer: A Radical Response to Life (originally titled, On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Style).
And Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake, Natural Grace: Dialogues on Creation, Darkness, and the Soul in Spirituality and Science.
And Fox, One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths.
Banner Image: A woman in the forest, suffused with a sunbeam. Photo by Guilherme Caetano on Unsplash
Queries for Contemplation
What is your reaction to Christina the Astonishing? Does any portion of yourself vibrate at her frequencies?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
Whee! We, Wee All the Way Home: A Guide to Sensual Prophetic Spirituality
Years ahead of its time when first published in 1976, this book is still bold and relevant today. Perfect for anyone who thinks mysticism needs to get out of the head and into the body. Matthew Fox begins the Preface to this book by stating, “This is a practical book about waking up and returning to a biblical, justice-oriented spirituality. Such a spirituality is a way of passion that leads to compassion. Such a way is necessarily one of coming to our senses in every meaning of that phrase.” One of Matthew Fox’s earliest books, this title explores the importance of ecstasy in the spiritual life. Fox considers the distinction between “natural” ecstasies (including nature, sex, friendship, music, art) and “tactical” ecstasies (like meditation, fasting, chanting); he goes on to consider that a truly authentic mysticism must be sensuous in its orientation, so to cultivate the maximum amount of ecstasy for the maximum amount of people.
Prayer: A Radical Response to Life
How do prayer and mysticism relate to the struggle for social and ecological justice? Fox defines prayer as a radical response to life that includes our “Yes” to life (mysticism) and our “No” to forces that combat life (prophecy). How do we define adult prayer? And how—if at all—do prayer and mysticism relate to the struggle for social and ecological justice? One of Matthew Fox’s earliest books, originally published under the title On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Style, Prayer introduces a mystical/prophetic spirituality and a mature conception of how to pray. Called a “classic” when it first appeared, it lays out the difference between the creation spirituality tradition and the fall/redemption tradition that has so dominated Western theology since Augustine. A practical and theoretical book, it lays the groundwork for Fox’s later works. “One of the finest books I have read on contemporary spirituality.” – Rabbi Sholom A. Singer
Natural Grace: Dialogues on Creation, Darkness, and the Soul in Spirituality and Science
by Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake
Natural Grace, a 208 page inspired dialogue between theologian Matthew Fox and scientist Rupert Sheldrake, unites wisdom and knowledge from unconventional angles. Considering themselves heretics in their own fields, Matthew and Rupert engage the conversation from postmodern and post-postmodern perspectives, deconstructing both religion and science—while setting the foundation for a new emerging worldview. Having outgrown the paradigms in which they were raised, both Fox and Sheldrake see it as part of their life missions to share the natural synthesis of spirituality and science rooted in a paradigm of evolutionary cosmology.
One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths
Matthew Fox calls on all the world traditions for their wisdom and their inspiration in a work that is far more than a list of theological position papers but a new way to pray—to meditate in a global spiritual context on the wisdom all our traditions share. Fox chooses 18 themes that are foundational to any spirituality and demonstrates how all the world spiritual traditions offer wisdom about each.“Reading One River, Many Wells is like entering the rich silence of a masterfully directed retreat. As you read this text, you reflect, you pray, you embrace Divinity. Truly no words can fully express my respect and awe for this magnificent contribution to contemporary spirituality.” –Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit
5 thoughts on “Prayer and the Body — part 2”
Thank you for remembering the truly “Astonishing” Christina in today’s DM, but whether exposing such extreme behaviors can be a source of inspiration or of doubt about the meaning of sainthood remains questionable. Personally, when the Dao De Jing (36) says: “The fish cannot leave the deep waters. The state’s weaponry should not be displayed,” I tend to read, “Spiritual practice on display is like a fish out of water.” I shall never forget the following story told by Stanislav Grof: Outside the fence of a psychiatric hospital, a yogi is hanging head down from a tree, his feet tied to a branch; from the other side of the fence, a patient asks him: “Why do they call you a yogi while they call me insane?” To which the yogi replies, “because I know whom not to talk to!”
Christina the Astonishing seems to have been another unique saint/mystic who was in touch with her Divine and human natures, especially her sacred body, in her own unique way. She’s another saint and mystic who inspires Us to become more aware, honor, and express Our own Soul’s unique integration of Our Divine and human natures with others as sacred parts of Our LOVING DIVERSE ONENESS of Our Evolving Creation/Cosmos and Eternal Angelic Spiritual Realms….
Love this one. 💗she had a nde back in the day. I suppose it is the levitations and the fact that she would climb trees to be closer to creator.
Thank you Matthew
Meg
Sorry, she does not especially move me, but then I am skeptical about the manifestations of saints. What she does, though, is point to the permeability of the concept of madness. In “normal” times, several of our leaders would be considered mentally ill; the policies and beliefs are quite insane. Everything has been turned upside down, and not in the good way that Jesus turned everything upside down–just the opposite. Now hate is love, lies are truth, compassion is bad, etc.
I’ve been puzzling more and more about my “me”/consciousness/”I” and the body that seems to belong to “me” — or that my “me” seems to belong to. So much of “my body” is a given — my children just evolved in “me,” without my “me” taking a conscious part, etc. A close friend just passed — I suspect our “me” just goes “poof” because of all the different ages we die, but as I look at her picture I reflect how I understand that body is dust to dust, but how is it possible that “she” is just not anywhere?
I’ve always loved being up in trees (tho at 87 I need a very hospitable one), and I love meeting the astonishing Christina who threw herself into the whole of creation! Thank you deeply for the new companion!