Born to a wealthy family in 1098, tithed to the Church and delivered into the life of an anchorite at age seven, Hildegard was uniquely gifted with visual and auditory experiences of God for perhaps all of her 87 years. But not until a riveting command at the age of 42 did she gradually and reluctantly accept God's invitation to speak, challenge, and console in God's name. The result—a rich legacy of books, music, arts, holistic healing, and theology—is thriving today.