The Mirror of Simple Souls
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| Author | Marguerite Porete |
|---|---|
| Original title | Le Mirouer des simples âmes anienties et qui seulement demeurent en vouloir et désir d'amour |
| Translator | Ellen L. Babinsky |
| Cover artist | Marion Miller |
| Country | France |
| Language | Old French |
| Subject(s) | Christianity / Mysticism |
| Publisher | (1993) Paulist Press |
| Released | circa 1300 |
| Released in English | 1993 |
| Media type | hardback |
| Pages | 249 |
| ISBN | 0809134276 |
The Mirror of Simple Souls[1] is a 14th century medieval work of Christian mysticism by Marguerite Porete dealing with the workings of Divine Love. Written originally in Old French at a time when Latin was the prescribed language for religious literature it explores in poetry and prose the seven stages of 'annihilation' the Soul goes through on its path to Oneness with God through Love. Enormously popular when written it fell foul of the Church authorities, who, detecting elements of the antinomian Heresy of the Free Spirit in its vision, denounced it as 'full of errors and heresies', burnt existing copies, banned its circulation, tried and executed Porete herself. In spite of this the work was translated into several different languages around Europe, including English, albeit not with Porete's name attached. In fact it was not identified as being by Porete at all until 1965. Since then it has been seen increasingly as one of the seminal works of Medieval spiritual literature and Porete, alongside Mechtild of Magdeburg and Hadewijch, an exemplar of the love mysticism of the Beguine movement.
[edit] References
- Porete, Marguerite (1993). The Mirror of Simple Souls. Paulist Press. ISBN 0-8091-3427-6.
- ^ Full title: The Mirror of the Simple Souls Who Are Annihilated and Remain Only in Will and Desire of Love Sells, Michael A. (1994). Mystical Languages of Unsaying. University of Chicago Press, 118. ISBN 0226747867.
