Birgitta of Sweden (1303–1373) can be characterised as a woman, mother, visionary and mystic. This thesis examines her life as the context for her visions. Birgitta’s Vita is approached as a process of transformation that began when she became a widow and continued until her death. From the approximately seven hundred visions, the Rule, the Book of Questions and the visions experienced during her pilgrimage to Palestine concerning her deceased son Karl, the Passion of Christ and his Birth have been analysed. On this basis, the spiritual-theological concept of ‘mystical motherhood’ has been developed. Her lectio divina and her own experience as a mother of eight children have visionarily enriched Gospel narratives with new possibilities. Her internalisation of the Passion narrative and the Nativity narrative proved to be a path towards integrating her emotions into the portrayal of these visions. For Birgitta, the figure of Mary offers a means of identification and serves as the starting point for incorporating her own maternal experiences. Birgitta was an independent woman who spent virtually her entire life travelling as a pilgrim and was supported by clergy from the Church. Her mysticism coincides with the visionary portrayal of maternal emotions, which she projects onto the figure of Mary and vividly expresses as an expression of compassion.
After training as a pianist at a conservatoire in Belgium, she completed a higher professional education (HBO) programme in Philosophy of Life, Art and Culture in Diemen, followed by a Master’s degree in Theology and Religious Studies in Nijmegen. She spent her working life as a piano teacher and as a pastoral worker (catechesis) in the Diocese of Utrecht. She served as a minister in an ecumenical context. Through her involvement with Sweden, she has conducted academic research into Birgitta, who is regarded there as the first significant female author.