This thesis examines Mechthild of Magdeburg's The Flowing Light of the Godhead, analyzing themes of the body and sexual desire for the divine using various conceptions of the erotic and physicality. It also confronts Mechthild's usage of pain in relation to pleasure and the extent to which this may be problematic with a queer approach and BDSM analysis. The paper briefly overviews the phenomenon of Christian mysticism in the medieval period, along with looking at how gender may have functioned differently in this time that resulted in the prevalence of female mystics. Before analyzing Mechthild's texts, the paper looks at previous scholarly approaches that have sought to minimize the presence of sexuality in her work and posit her painful experiences as violence enacted against women. The analysis of Mechthild's texts concludes that both the body and sexuality are essential to her religiosity and proposes the idea of accepting pain and pleasure as not mutually exclusive.