The religion of Marguerite de Navarre : a study based on a reading of her poetry in the context of the traditions of devotional writing of the Late Middle Ages and early Reformation.

The aim of this thesis is to work towards a clarification of the religious convictions of Marguerite de Navarre, discernible in her poetry. As a context for the reading of the poems, it seeks to build up a picture of those traditions of devotional writing within which they stand. Critical opinion has long been divided as to whether Marguerite's poems are essentially theological (i.e., dogmatic) or spiritual (i.e., mystical) in nature. By offering an alternative context for the reading of the poems (distinct from yet combining elements of the theological and the spiritual), the thesis seeks to open new insights into the meaning of Marguerite de Navarre's poetry and her own religious beliefs.A problem of interpretation confronting the reader of devotional literature is identified in terms of the epistemological structures within which, and the linguistic formulations by which, ideas and sentiments are given expression, The thesis therefore seeks to establish this new interpretative context in terms of the religious structures and the religious language found in Marguerite's own poems, and, more generally, in the traditions of devotional writing of the time. Four main theological issues, brought to prominence at the time of the Reformation, are examined: the nature of Christian justification; the role of the Church and the sacraments; the problem of faith and works; attitudes to the Bible and its interpretation. It is the contention of this thesis that in each of these areas Marguerite reveals both her dependence upon traditional devotional writing and her openness to and interest in contemporary religious discussion. Influenced much by those of her age concerned to promote a non-schismatic renewal of the Church and a deepening of lay piety, Marguerite combines ideas from both these sources in a synthesis, which is both well informed and of considerable originality and integrity. List of Abbreviations. Preface. Devotion and Doctrine: A Problem of Interpretation. Part One. Religious Structures. Introduction. Structures under Stress. Chapter One. Structures of Soteriology: The Problem of Justification. Chapter Two. Structures Historical and Ecclesiastical. I) The Personal and the Universal: The Self in History. II) The Personal and the Institutional: The Self in the Church. Part Two. Religious Language. Introduction. The Clash of Text and Context. Chapter Three. The Consecration of Formulae and the Theological Virtues. Chapter Four. Allegorical Hermeneutics: Approaches to Reading the Bible. Conclusions. Appendix. Estienne's Sommaire Bibliography