Compare and/or contrast the mysticism of Marguerite Porete and The Heart and the Fountain - Essay Example

Comparison of the mysticism of Marguerite Porete and The Heart and the Fountain On June 1310, Marguerite Porete was burnt in the fires of Paris because she was believed to be a heretic. The execution was done by the ecclesial authorities who sought to censure her work. In analyzing the mysticism in Marguerite’s work and its similarity of difference from that of Jewish texts, it is central to figure out the meaning of the term mysticism. According to Dan (20), mysticism is a strong religious belief that cannot be expressed in words or periods.

Marguerite was assassinated because she wrote a book pointing out that a soul annihilated in the love of God could grant to nature all it desires. Her words implied that a soul could become one with God, and in the event, ignore the moral law. Marguerite’s beliefs were described as ‘free-spirit’ heresy. From the cataphatic perspective of mysticism, it can be observed that her beliefs were similar to those of medieval Jewish beliefs, which were indicated in their mystical texts. From the early emergence of Jewish mysticism, that is, during the era of the second temple of Judaism, there was a common speculation about man’s ascent into heaven.

Such ascent was also believed to be associated with transformation vision of the glory of god. According to the Jewish texts, the ascetical disciples were required to purify and prepare themselves so as to gain vision of God. In other words, they had to use the language of prophet Ezekiel, whereby one was to have a vision of the glory of God that would then transform them into divine or angelic beings. Both Marguerite’s belief and the Jewish texts indicated that one could attain spiritual perfection while still living on earth.

One crucial difference between the Jewish texts and the form of mysticism presented by Marguerite is that, the Jewish version involved a lengthy process whereby an individual was required to prepare and purify oneself. Additionally, the unity that was proposed in the Jewish texts indicated that the unity was made possible by the glory of God. On the other hand, Marguerite’s view indicated that an individual’s soul was the unifying factor to god. Marguerite views differed with the Jewish texts in that free spirits could attain union with God.

She believed that one could reach a state of free spirits via spiritual abnegation and bodily austerities. She posited that once an individual attained that state, then he or she would be detached from daily concerns. Unlike Marguerite’s work, the Jewish texts were based on ancient scriptures that exhibited cannons of organized religion. The texts were meant to substantiate on the vitality of the Jewish religious observances. The texts had been developed for many centuries, and they included Jewish and kabbalist thoughts that demonstrated esoteric teachings.

Marguerite’s teachings were based on her beliefs on the relationship between a perfect soul and God. The Jewish beliefs views, as presented in their ancient texts, appeared to be experiential, while Marguerite’s views appeared to be speculative in nature. The Jews could trace their beliefs to ancient prophets; while, on the other hand, Marguerite’s work reflected her thoughts that lacked experiential back up. Because of that, her views pointed out that one would gain a peculiar kind of independence after attaining the level of a free spirit, and thus, would not need guidance from sermons or masses.

Works citedDan, Joseph. The Heart and the Fountain: An Anthology of Jewish Mystical Experiences. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print.