An Essay by Renee D Mattila

March 15, 2004

The study of God and religious devotion can require much time and energy. The requirements of religious devotion can be so extreme that they demand the exclusion of all worldly things such as possessions, family and personal relationships. Throughout the pat two thousand years of Christianity many religious orders have been developed to provide an opportunity for devout individuals to commit themselves to this kind of contemplative life. In a small section of her book “The Treasure of the City of Ladies”, Christine de Pizan endorses the contemplative life, which she also describes as a life that is entirely devoted to God and excludes all worldly things. She describes the contemplative life as “the greatest and worthiest perfection” (Pizan, 16) and provides three reasons why it is so: first, because religious authority says it is the worthiest, second, because it provides perfect contentment in the mortal world and third, because it provides a glimpse of the perfect felicity that awaits in heaven.

Christine de Pizan relies on the religious authority of the Holy Bible to support her emphatic endorsement of the contemplative life. Specifically, she focuses on the gospel of Luke, which includes the story of Mary and Martha. Mary represents the contemplative life as she sits listening at Jesus’ feet while Martha represents the active life as she bustles about ensuring that the needs of her guests are met. Christine is careful to speak of the importance of the active life while maintaining the superiority of the contemplative life. She points out the necessity of having some people to carry on with essential work so that others can commit themselves to the contemplative life without being burdened by worldly tasks. In the Gospel of Luke the work of Martha, and her hospitality, are necessary to facilitate Jesus’ work and her sister’s contemplation. Although Martha’s work is necessary, Jesus still refers to Mary’s choice as “the better part” (16). Christine uses the words of Jesus as a powerful authority to support her claim that the contemplative life is “the greatest and worthiest perfection”. Since Jesus is united to God through the Holy Trinity, the words of the Christ can be seen as the words of the Father. Christine believes that “In God’s eyes life in a religious community is the highest level of life there is” (16). Christine de Pizan appeals to the highest authority she knows to support her endorsement of the contemplative life.

The contemplative life may be “the greatest and worthiest perfection” because it provides perfect contentment in this life. Christine states that to take up the contemplative life it is necessary to “scorn utterly everything that is of the world and its pleasures” (14). In giving up everything that is of the mortal world the spiritual person also gives up all pain and sorrow. In the contemplative life it is not necessary to patiently endure injury and tribulation. It is only in the active life that injury and tribulation would occur. When an individual becomes entirely absorbed in the contemplation of God it is not possible to be affected by earthly things such as poverty or starvation. Christine’s suggestion of perfect contentment is supported by Saint Paul who found perfect contentment through his faith in God. In his letter to the Philippians Paul says, “I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). Even imprisonment could not take away the perfect contentment he had found in God. This mirrors Christine’s statement that the woman who seeks the contemplative life will find “perfect contentment in this world” through her servitude to God (Pizan, 14). Completely surrendering to God requires the release of all worldly burdens and results in the most perfect contentment that is attainable in the mortal world.

The only thing greater than the perfect contentment that can be gained on Earth is the perfect felicity of eternal life that is the reward for the righteous person. The contemplative life is “the greatest and worthiest perfection” because it provides a glimpse of ultimate perfection; it provides a sample of the perfect felicity that can only be realised in a heavenly union with God. After death, Christians believe that they will be raised up to heaven and joined in the perfection of God. Through this divine union their souls will achieve a perfect felicity that is superior to any joy that can be found on Earth. Through fervent contemplation of God, Heaven and the Holy Trinity, the spiritual person is able to achieve a closeness to God that can only be surpassed by the union of the after life. Christine says that “The consolation, peacefulness and joy that she then feels cannot be described, neither can any other joy be compared to that one, for she is tasting the glories and joys of Paradise” (14). The contemplative life provides the most perfect joy available in the corruptible world along with the most perfect contentment. Christine even admits to her inability to fully explain this ecstasy by saying that her descriptions can be likened to the way “a blind person might discourse upon colours” (15). Only someone who experiences the perfect contentment and felicity of the contemplative life can fully explain and understand these things. Despite her inadequacies, Christine is able to show that the contemplative life, as endorsed by religious authority, provides the most perfect joy and contentment attainable in the corruptible world.

Christine provides at least three sound reasons why the contemplative life can be seen as “the greatest and worthiest perfection”: first, because religious authority says it is the worthiest, second, because it provides perfect contentment in this world and third, because it provides a glimpse of the perfect felicity that awaits in the heavenly Jerusalem. Although these are compelling reasons to adopt the contemplative life, Christine de Pizan focuses on the active life throughout most of her book “The Treasure of the City of Ladies”. It seems that although the contemplative life is “the greatest and worthiest perfection” it is not the lifestyle that most women would choose. That is why Christine accepts the importance of the active life while emphasizing the superiority of the contemplative life.