Hadewijch z Antwerpii o przyjemności w doświadczeniu mistycznym

The subject of the article is the concept of pleasure in mystical experience in an account of Hadewijch of Antwerp (ca. 1200–1260). Hadewijch is a representative of the medieval women's mysticism, which is also called affective or experiential mysticism. Her spiritual reflections are not of a theoretical nature, her legacy is rather in line with the understanding of mysticism as cognitio Dei expermentalis, experimental knowledge of God through a living, concrete experience. Hence, Hadewijch focused on the experiential aspect of mystical experience, especially on the desire for God and the dialectic of pleasure and suffering. She emphasized – referring to the authority of Richard of St. Victor - that love is not an area of sweetness, delight and pleasure. Rather, love is an area of suffering and pain, but on the path of spiritual development this suffering can be experienced as pleasure.