Florence Nightingale: Mystic or Moralist?

Abstract

Evelyn Underhill, in her classic work Practical Mysticism, makes a significant statement in reference to Florence Nightingale, saying “Perhaps it is worthwhile to remind ourselves that the two women who have left the deepest mark upon the military history of France and England – Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale – both acted under mystical compulsion.” To many, this statement may appear odd, since Nightingale’s name is most often recognized in the area of health sciences as the founder of the nursing profession. Underhill’s statement becomes even more striking when comparing the mystical experiences of Joan of Arc with the scientific methodology used by Florence Nightingale as a social reformer. Questions arise such as “How did Nightingale’s spiritual experience of God lead her into nursing?” and “In what way did her ideal of God’s perfection originate as an important tenet of her religious philosophy, especially in relation to the scientific world of modern Britain?” One cannot begin to entertain Nightingale as a mystic without first examining the events that led her into nursing and a career as a social reformer. Nightingale’s faith in God inspired her throughout life; however, it was her hard work and philosophy of science that provided her with the means of acquiring knowledge in order to suggest improvements regarding social and public health reforms. In this essay, I propose that Nightingale’s spirituality has much in common with Christian medieval mysticism, but differs drastically in its practical application when she begins to resolve problems encountered in health care and elsewhere. Nightingale viewed God as energizing,