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Self-Defence and Its Limits in Marguerite Porete’s Mirror of Simple Souls

Trombley, Justine L.

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Authors

Justine L. Trombley



Abstract

This article examines how Marguerite Porete defended her ideas in her mystical treatise The Mirror of Simple Souls, which along with its author was condemned as heretical in 1310. Most scholarship has focussed on the final sixteen chapters of the Mirror as evidence of Marguerite's self-defence. This article shows that Marguerite was concerned with defending her ideas throughout the course of composing the Mirror, and not merely while writing the final chapters. Focussing on two key concepts in the Mirror which were singled out at her trial in Paris, it shows how Marguerite repeatedly presented these concepts in ways which were meant to shield them from criticism. The article then examines the reactions of two later readers of the Mirror to these defences, exploring their successes and failures and the vastly different ways in which they could be interpreted.

Citation

Trombley, J. L. (2020). Self-Defence and Its Limits in Marguerite Porete’s Mirror of Simple Souls. Nottingham Medieval Studies, 63, 129-151. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.nms.5.118197

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 22, 2019
Online Publication Date Jan 31, 2020
Publication Date Jan 31, 2020
Deposit Date Oct 17, 2019
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Nottingham Medieval Studies
Print ISSN 0078-2122
Electronic ISSN 2507-0444
Publisher Brepols Publishers
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 63
Pages 129-151
DOI https://doi.org/10.1484/j.nms.5.118197
Keywords Marguerite Porete; Mirror of Simple Souls; heresy; textual reception; defence; mysticism
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2853757
Publisher URL https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.NMS.5.118197

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