Marguerite Porete Flashcards
Who was Marguerite Porete?
Marguerite Porete was a woman who lived in a beguinage in Valenciennes in Belgium.
What is the name of her mystical treatise?
The name of her mystical treatise is ‘The Mirror of Simple Souls’.
What does her treatise present?
Her treatise presents 7 progressive stages of grace that eventually lead to oneness with God.
Who warned her about her teaching?
Guy of Colmieu, the bishop of Cambrai, warned her about her teaching.
Who summoned her to appear in Paris?
William of Paris, a high-profile Dominican inquisitor and confessor to King Phillip IV, summoned her to appear in Paris.
What was her response to the examination of her teaching?
Porete was reluctant to travel to Paris and refused to engage with the examination of her teaching.
When did she get found guilty?
She was found guilty in 1310.
What was her punishment?
She was publicly burnt at the stake in Paris.
Why was her book considered heretical by some?
Her book was considered heretical by some because it promoted ‘the annihilated life’, where the soul is beyond all anxiety from sin which she might ever have committed, and lost its will, reason, and concern with the virtues - leading to concerns that it could encourage listeners to place themselves beyond the notions of sin and virtue.
Who found her book orthodox and why?
Some found Porete’s book orthodox and thought it should be promoted for its spiritual edification of women.
Who carried out a second investigation?
Phillip of Marign, Guy’s successor at the Bishop of Cambrai, carried out a second investigation.
