CLARE OF MONTEFALCO (1268-1308) THE LEOF THE SOUL IS THE LOVE OF GOD by Sister Margaret Elizabeth Klot& OSF A thesis submitted to the Facuity ofTheology of the Universiq of St. Michad's ColIege and the Department of Theology of the Toronto SchooI of Theology in partiai fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of SL Michel's ColIege Toronto 200 I O Margaret E- KIotz Acquisitions and Acquisitions et BiMiogtaphic Services seivices bibiiiraphiques The author has granteci a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence alowiag the exciusive permettant à la National Library of Canada ta Bibiiothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distri'bute or seiI reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or elecironic formats. la forme de microfichelfilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains owndpof the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantieis may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract: Clare of A4onrefalco (1268-1308). The Life of the Sou1 is the Love of God This dissertation introduces St. Clare of Montefalco, a medievai mystic of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, to the English-speaking world. The thesis examines aspects of her theology emphasized in her spirituality as well as presenting her Iife in the conte- of her culture. The background materiai contains the sociai. cultural. ecclesiastical, religious, and poiitical background of the times in which she lived. Since there are no extant writings of Clare of Montefalco, the chief sources used in the thesis are [I Processo di Chiara da Montefalco, which was held in 13 18 and the Vita S Clame de Cruce, which was written before 1320. The sources studied provide information about Clare and her relationship to her family, her culture, and her Church. They also provide information about Clare's life as a religious and a mystic. The thesis is heaviiy dependent on non-autobiographicd material. Therefore, conscious of the use of hagiography, the dissertation discusses what hagiography is and how Berengario, her initial biographer and the bishop who invoked the apostolic process of canonization, makes use of this particular genre. The dissertation presents Clare as an alternative theology resource of the Middle Ages different Eom that provided by the scholastic and monastic teachers of the period. Using the expertise of Bernard McGinn and Jean LeClercq. the thesis presents a comparison among the three @es of theology; namely. scholastic. monastic and vernacular. Clare crosses the boundaries between the categories of vernacular and monastic theologian. Having developed a method for claiming Clare as a theologian. and using the words and deeds of Clare, as seen and heard by the people who Iived with her or whom she encountered. the thesis gives a portrait of the relationship of Clare to God and Jesus Christ. Integrating her theology of God and Jesus Christ to how she lived her life in imitario Christi completes the presentation of Clare of Montefalco as theoIogian. teacher. contemptative. and mystic. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .........................................................................................................iv MPENDIX.................................................................................................. .v INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. BIOGRAPHY AND BACKGROUND OF CLARE OF MONTEFALCO ............... 5 1) Her City and Farnily 2) Clare as a Religious 3) Clare as Mystic Conclusion 2. THE PiUMARY SOClRCES FOR THE STUDY OF THE THEOLOGY OF CLARE OF MONTEFALCO .............................................................................. 35 a) Hagiography in Regard to Medievai Wornen b) The Chutch Context and Hagiography 2) The Sources a) Date of Completion b) Criticai Edition c) Format, Style. Context Conclusion 3. PLACINGCLAREOFMONTEFALCOiNTHEFRAMEWORKOF MEDIEVAL THEOLOGY ....................................................................................... 65 2) The Three Types of Medieval Theology in the Time of Clare 3) Clare in Relationship to the Three Types of TheoIogy a) Scholastic b) Monastic c) Vemacdar 3) The Method for Using the Primary Sources to Ascertain Clare's Theology of God and Jesus Christ Conclusion THE THEOLOGY OF GOD AS SEEN iN CLARE'S WORDS AND DEEDS ..........................................................................................................94 1) God as the Giver of Grace 2) God as Creator 3) God as RulerIGod as Judge 4) God as TeacherIGod as the Spirit of Truth Conclusion CLARE'S THEOLOGY OF JESUS CHRtST: ïHE GOD WHO SUFFERS.................................................................................... 125 1) Clare and the Hurnanity of Jesus Christ 2) Clare and the Passion of Jesus Christ Conclusion CLARE'S THEOLOGY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHP iN GOD ...................... 147 1) Sacramental Life 2) Virtuous Life of Clare of Montefalco 3) Clare's Encounter with Others 4) Christ-rooted Compassion for Others Conclusion CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 188 Appendk ............................................................................................................................. 190 1. THE THREE TYPES OF THEOLOGY iN THE MIDDLE AGES LIST OF ABBREMATIONS -AS An Augustine Svnthesis FAS "St Francis as an Educator" FOM The Flowerine of Mvsticism -GFR Grevfnars Review JAAR Journal of the Amencan Academv of Religion LOL The Love of Leaminrr and the Desk for God -OCD On Christian Doctrine PC II Processo di Canonizzazione di Chiara da Montetàlco ROT The Renewal of Thedo&' Vita Vita S. Clarae de Cruce: Ex codice Montefalconensi saeculi XN Desurn~ta Appendix 1 Cornparison of the mec Types of Theology Present in the Middle Ages Saint Clare of Montefdco (1268-1308), aiso known as Saint Clare of the Cross, is well- known in the Itaiian-speaking world. The research, initiated by the Augustinian priests, brothers and nuns of Umbrian Itaiy, began in 198 1, the first centenary celebration of the canonization of St. Clare. This inquiry into Clare's life involveci the preparation of the criticai edition of the Relatio, the short version of the Process of Canonization of 1318-1319,' as welI as the historicai documents on the Monastery of the Holy Cross on the years when Clare was the abbess of that monastery (1291- 1308): Besides the primary documents presented in the aforementioned tem, other topics have aiso been written regarding Clare and her spirituaiity. For example. La S~iritualitàdi S. Chiara da Montefdco, &er presenting a brief introduction to the movementç of spintuality in Umbrian Italy and in the Augustinian tradition. presents a picture of Clare's spirituality while she lived in the two reclusorio as well as under the Augustinian Added to tbis collection of te- on Clare and her spirituaiity are two books that speak about Clare and her times. Containing essays about her relationship to religious rnovernents of her tirne, including the Penitential movement and ferninine religious rnovernents, these texts also compare Clare to more well-known persons of her time. such as Angela of Foligno and Jacopone da Todi? 'See Enrico Menesto, 11 Processo di canonizzazione di Chiara da Montefalco (Firenze: "La Nuova Italia" Editrice. t984), pg. xmiii-xxwii and hi-ixix. This tefi will be abbreviated PC throughout the thesis. 2~ilvestroNessi. ed., Chiara da Montef'aico. Badessa del Monastem di S. Croce (Montefalco. 1981). 3~ilvestroNessi, ed.. La Spiritualità di S. Chiara da Montefdco (Montefaico: Monastero S. Chiara, 1986). S. Chiara deIIa Croce. Maestra di vita mirituale (Montefalco: Monastero S. Chiara della Croce, 1983) contains Ietters. homiiies, meditations, and conferences given by severai Augustinians concerning Clare's spiritual We. '~laudioLeonardi and Enrico Menesto, eh.. S. Chiara da Montefdco e il suo temuo (PerugiaIFirenze: Regione deIi'UrnbriaLa Nuova Italia, 1985) and Santa Chiara da Montefdco e -7 However, in the English-speaking wortd, she is most well-known for the following reasons: the signs of the Passion that were found in her kart after her death;5 an incomptible body;b entering religious life at the very young age of six;' and fïnaily, since the late fikenth century, the center of a controversy between the Franciscans and Augustinians as to whether she is a Franciscan tertiary or an Augustinian nun? This thesis will seek to present Clare of Montefalco, a medieval mystic of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries to the English-speaking world. Besidcs presenting the life and context of Chre of Montefalco, the thesis will lay out aspects of theology operative in the spirituality of Clare, Why choose Clare of Montefalco as the topic for a dissertation? In researching the early Franciscan women of the Third Oder, tint is, those women who lived in the sarne century as Francis. four women stood out in the received tradition: Angela of Foligno. Rose of Viterbo. Margaret of Cortona, and Clare of biontefdco. Much uiformation is available