The Three Births of Christ and the Christmas Liturgy in "The Temple of Our Soul," "The Evangelical Pearl" and the "Arnhem Mystical Sermons"

Three testimonies from the heart of the mystical culture of the eastern Northern-Netherlands, The Arnhem Sermons (written for the Sisters of the Monastery of Saint Agnes in Arnhem), The Evangelical Pearl and The Temple of Our Soul (both written by, or in the immediate vicinity of, the community), contain passages that describe the three births of Christ related to the three masses of the Christmas liturgy - a theme that originated in Tauler's first sermon. This contribution analyses these passages. The theme of "sonship" is central: Christ is born in the highest unity of the soul, and this affects all the faculties of the entire human person. From the analysis it is apparent that the content of these texts displays a remarkable coherence, despite their differences. © Ons Geestelijk Erf. All rights reserved.