The Department of Romance and Classical Studies is proud to celebrate Vanessa Weller, a third-year PhD student in French and Francophone Studies, for her recent publication. Vanessa’s paper, originally presented at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in May 2024, has been published in Magistra: A Journal of Women’s Spirituality in History. Her work focuses on the medieval mystic Marguerite Porete and her influential text, Le Mirouer des simples âmes anienties (The Mirror of Simple Souls).

Vanessa’s article, titled “Marguerite Porete: Between Language and Mysticism”, explores the unique and complex ideas of Marguerite Porete, a mystic from the late 1200s and early 1300s. Porete was a controversial figure in her time and was eventually tried and executed for her religious teachings, which were considered unconventional. Her work, The Mirror of Simple Souls, combines prose and poetry in a dialogue between the Soul, Love, and Reason, using this storytelling style to dive into deep spiritual ideas and themes.

In her publication, Vanessa examines how Porete’s unique writing approach, including the use of archaic language and Latin influences, reflects and reinforces her mystical ideas. Vanessa highlights how Porete’s stylistic choices align with her nonconformist spiritual views, demonstrating how the text’s structure and language mirror its spiritual content, particularly in chapters that explore progressive spiritual concepts.

Vanessa’s work not only highlights the historical and literary significance of Porete’s text but also illustrates how language and style are used as powerful tools for spiritual expression, even under strict religious scrutiny. We congratulate Vanessa on this remarkable achievement and look forward to seeing her future contributions to the field.

For more information, you can read Vanessa’s article here.