HISTORY OF IDEAS
AUGUST MAIN INTAKE
6th NOVEMBER 2020
To What Extent Charges of Heresy against Joan of Arc Justified?
Peichen Xie 961358
- Introduction
In 1429, when Joan was 17 years old, she claimed that she heard and saw Christian saints. Christian saints told her to put on armor and encourage the French Prince to fight against the English and Burgundians and re-establish France as a separate country from England.
This was during the period of the Hundred Year War when there was a war between French and England over Northern-France. Heeding this instruction, Joan of Arc did as she was told and led a campaign to fight against the English and the Burgundians. As she led the French army to victory over the British army in a critical battle during the Hundred Year War, she was hailed as a national heroine of France. To some extent, Joan’s claims of Arc and her achievements in the war played essential roles in France’s rebel against England, which is an essential part of pushing out of English armies from France. In 1430, while on her final campaign without support from King Charles VII, she was captured by the Burgundians. She was handed over to the Church Council in Rouen where she was charged for heresy. Heresy, according to the Catholic faith, is an error in faith; a person who does not believe in the true doctrine of the Catholic Church was referred to as a heretic. ‘Joan erred in faith.’ This essay will argue that the heresy brought forward against Joan was unjust given the following reasons; the accusation about the sword, the tree, and the portrait were false, the English wanted to get rid of Joan politically since she was a stumbling block to their conquest of France, she was accused of being an evil woman yet she was a woman who was devoted to serving God. Lastly, the accusation about her was pegged on gender discrimination where women in those days were not respected much to take lead roles in major issues like faith and liberation wars.
The English wanted to get rid of Joan politically.
Joan had a vision that the French army should pick up arms and fight the English, and the Burgundians and the last war were fought with Joan leading the French army without the King’s support. When the Burgundians captured her, they did not hold her as a political prisoner; instead, they took her to church officials and accused her of heresy. The English and the Burgundians knew that this charge was incriminating at the time. It was the softest way to eliminate Joan from the political feuds. She became a problem with her visions and encouraged the local French soldiers and ordinary people to resist the English and Burgundians.
The accusation about the sword, the tree, and the portrait was false.
The accusations about the sword, the tree, and the portrait were all false since she got to know about these things from her vision and even directed the authorities to the people who were responsible and even the time they took place (Spark notes, 2020). The authorities at the time did not believe in her and accused her of engaging in heretic activities. Specifically, on the sword’s matter, she claimed to be directed by the voice on where it was located and the charming tree. She said she knew the family of Fairies that gathered there. The words of blessings to the sword were false, and she denied this is the public inquest. However, all her responses were used against her as proof of the heresy.
The accusation of being unholy and Evil
Throughout her defense, Joan’s actions and values showed a woman who believed in God and was intend at doing God’s will and serving God, but the Church was hell-bent on charging her a heretic rather than a criminal (Trial, 2020). This shows the power that the Church was wielding at the time. The Catholic Church had a powerful influence in society and especially at condemning people accused of heresy. The Church did not consider the merits of the case but had a clear intention to destroy her image. In which they succeeded at not only destroying her image but by burning her alive at stake.
Gender Discrimination
The position of women at the time was not recognized in society. Women were left to peripheral roles that included child-rearing, cooking, and other minor jobs. Joan, having led a military force to fight against the Burgundians and won, left them bitter and had to revenge and the easiest way to get rid of her was by the accusation of heresy (Brightside, 2020). Gender discrimination was a significant consideration and not the facts of their achievements or failures as a person.
References
Primary sources
The trial of Joan of Arc extract. (2020) Trinity College Foundation Studies.
Secondary sources
Barlow, J., Andrewes, F., Sahhar, M., & Pickering, M. (2020).
Introduction and notes to Joan of Arc’s essay. Trinity College Foundation Studies. Brightside Mentoring. Joan of Arc, Biography: Imprisonment and Trial. https://www.sparknotes.com/biography/joanofarc/section9/ . Accessed October 13 2020.
Nash- Marshall.S. Joan of Arc: A spiritual background. Crossroad Publishing. 1999 Spark Notes. Spark Notes. Famous Trials: The Trial of Joan of Arc.
https://www.brightknowledge.org/law/famous-cases-the-trial-of-joan-of-arc. Accessed October 13 2020.
The trial of Joan of Arc extract. Trinity College Foundation Studies. 2020
Vale. G.A Malcom, Lanhers, Yvonne. St. Joan of Arc. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Joan-of-Arc. Accessed October 13 2020.