A Reconsideration of Jean Gerson’s Attitude Toward Joan of Arc in Light of His Views on Popular Devotion

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is not to prove whether Gerson was or was not a zealous supporter of Joan of Arc, but rather to develop arguments supporting two main points. First, one cannot speak about Gerson’s general mistrust of women or feminine spirituality but rather about his doubts concerning institutionalized feminine religiosity and extreme, improvised, and bizarre religious practices.¹ Second, an analysis of Gerson’s attitude toward forms of popular piety suggests that the Chancellor’s positive judgment of Joan of Arc’s visions and voices does not represent an exception to his presumed “almost universal antipathy” toward women, but reveals instead the continuity of Gerson’s thought.²