ABSTRACT
Hildegard explains evil by drawing on patristic sources but blending them with her remarkable vision of the human in the cosmos. Hildegard even compares the workings of human organs such as the bladder to a river-like issue of evil out of the body. In multiple genres including homilies, exegesis, visionary accounts, drama and liturgical songs, Hildegard of Bingen dealt with the nature and workings of evil, from the human's relationship to the Devil and the necessity to choose good over evil in everyday life to the struggle against evil on a cosmic scale. Throughout her works, Hildegard represents human nature before and after the Fall and discusses the human's ethical choice to commit good or evil deeds; the Incarnation makes redemption and salvation possible when the human repents and directs her efforts toward a desire to attain reward in heaven.
