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

Trombley, Justine L.

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: Feb 1, 2022
• 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
• Contract Date: Oct 17, 2019