Christological transformation in The Mirror of Souls, by Marguerite Porete

Theology Today, Apr 2003 by Babinsky, Ellen L

The text invites readers to see themselves reflected in either the lost souls or the sad souls. Divine Love will not transform the lost soul or readers who are this type. Divine Love will transform the sad soul and readers identified with her, because they possess the intellect to understand the being of God described in the text, and they sense who they are in God. The text instructs the reader:

And those who are not of this kind, nor were, nor will be, will not feel this being, nor understand it. They cannot do it, nor will they do it. They are not, as you know, of the lineage of which we speak . . . . But those who are not this now-but they are so in God, which is why they will be so-will understand this being and sense it, through the strength of the lineage from which they are and will be, more strongly indeed than those who have not understood it and sensed it. And such folk of whom we speak, who are this way and will be, will recognize, as soon as they hear it, their lineage from which they come.36

The lineage noted here would seem at first to be the preexistence that all souls have in God. If this were the case, however, the lost souls also would be capable of transformation. But the text assumes that the lost souls possess neither the ability nor the intellect to understand the divine life described. Thus, the lineage necessary for transformation seems to be the election of the sad soul by Divine Love to the divine life, through which the sad soul is returned to her perfect preexistence in God before creation, to a union with God in which humanity is joined to divinity. Porete's notion of election here is not election to salvation, but rather to the level of a spiritual elite, a spiritual nobility.37

The sad soul and, by implication, readers identified with her may return to perfect preexistence only by the transforming power of Divine Love. Because she is elected, the sad soul can understand and respond to Divine Love's call. The text discusses the sad soul's election by Divine Love in two places, in each case addressing the reader. Near the beginning of the book, Porete tells us that "this book will show to all the true light of Truth, and the perfection of Charity, and those who are preciously elected by God and called and supremely loved by Him."38 Further into the text, she admonishes: "Now you who are elected and called to this supreme being, pay attention and hasten yourselves, for it is a very great way and a very long road from the first stage of grace to the last stage of glory . . . ."39 The text invites and instructs its readers to look in "the mirror" to see if they can see themselves in the sad soul and exhorts readers to tend to the spiritual task, so that Divine Love can work her transforming power. Because the sad soul (and the reader identified with her) is elected and called by Divine Love, she possesses the intellect to understand the deeper, richer spiritual life and the ability to respond to the call of Love to the higher being of divine life.