Athanasius Guggers Hymni sacri (1661) und Odae sacrae (1664). Der poetische und geistige Horizont eines St. Galler Dichtermönchs

This essay is dedicated to the poetry collections Hymni sacri (1661) and Odae sacrae (1664), written by the Saint Gall Benedictine monk Athanasius Gugger. The two works are first presented in terms of form and content, categorised in the intellectual and local time horizon and examined with regard to their reception and possible purpose. This is followed by an examination of selected poems, organised by epoch (antiquity, the Middle Ages, modern times), which sheds light on essential elements of Gugger’s thought. In addition to the poetic strategy of a parodia Christiana, a substitution or even surpassing of pagan antiquity through Christian content, which was important for his poetry, his knowledgeable interest in the Middle Ages, which, like late antiquity, offered him poetic role models, is particularly evident here. With a view to modern times, Gugger’s inner openness to contemporary spiritual and pas­toral innovations in the Catholic world is addressed.