Joan of Arc: The Early Debate

by Deborah A. Fraioli

Joan of Arc arrived at the French court claiming to be sent by God to come to the aid of the dauphin Charles. Most studies of Joan focus on her political expediency, but the starting point of this book is her assertion that she was sent by it is the first real exploration of the application of the Catholic doctrine of discretio spirituum (the discernment of spirits) to her case, and of her reception as a visionary woman. The author examines contemporary theological documents which show genuine debate about Joan's mission and whether she was diabolically or divinely inspired, also taking into account the two major literary works dealing with her, Christine de Pizan's Ditie de Jehanne d'Arc and Martin Le Franc's Le champion des dames , as well as Joan's own letter to the English. Appendices offer translations of pertinent Latin and French texts.
Professor DEBORAH FRAIOLI teaches inthe Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Simmons College, Boston.

235 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1999

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completed a Mitte Honors Thesis, Through a Political Lens: Joan of Arc from Myth to Modern Fragmentation. As a result, you will see many Joan of Arc related texts. If you are interested, you can find my thesis on eCommons at the Texas State University Library.