Review by Choice Review
This clearly written account of the trials of Marguerite Porete and her less-known supporter Guiard of Cressonessart both corrects misconceptions in the scholarly literature and offers a thick description of the intellectual, cultural, and political context in which these religious dissidents and the inquisitor William of Paris operated. Historian Field (Univ. of Vermont) demonstrates the extent to which conflicts between papal and royal authority during the first decade of the 14th century fueled the prosecutions. As Philip IV of France sought to consolidate power in his kingdom, those who disturbed the harmony of the Catholic Church--including Jews, the Knights Templar, and a number of religious women--became enemies of the crown. Marguerite and Guiard made claims to religious authority that were not received sympathetically either by supporters of royal authority or by ecclesiastical leaders increasingly distrustful of the mystical and apocalyptic currents that influenced the two. Field reads the trial documents closely and includes translations in the appendixes, increasing the book's value for students and scholars alike. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels and libraries. J. W. McCormack University of Notre Dame
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
