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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS THESIS SIGNATURE PAGE THESIS SUBMITTED FOR PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF ARTS IN LITERATURE AND WRITING STUDIES THESIS TITLE: 'De magia naturali' - On Natural Magic. by Jacques Lerevre d' Etaples: Coincidence of Opposites. the Trinity and prisca theologia. AUTHOR: Kathryn LaFevers Evans DATE OF SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE: April 27. 2006 THE THESIS HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE THESIS COMMITTEE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LITERATURE AND WRITING STUDIES. Dr. Oliver Berghof THESIS COMMITTEE CHAIR Dr. Peter Arnade THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER f-GNATURE Dr. THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER SIGNATURE DATE De Magia naturali, On Natural Magic, by Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples: Coincidence of Opposites, the Trinity, and prisca theologia © 2006 by Kathryn LaFevers Evans CSUSM Thesis Advisor, Professor Oliver Berghof Committee Member Professor Peter Arnade July 2006 THESIS ABSTRACT The life of Catholic reformer Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples, 1455- 1536, spanned the threshold between Medieval and Renaissance eras. Like other humanists, Lefevre synthesized philosophical, theological and scientific theories and practices - of such is his unpublished treatise De Magia naturali, On Natural Magic. I elucidate Lefevre's focus on universal mystical metaphors of divine union, in order to offer a simpler view into the evolution of his writings. Engaging historic-intellectual background in critical analysis of Book II, I address the conflicting political, religious, and academic opinions of natural magic, demonstrating that current Academia is poised to expand the historical, "theoretical" treatment of natural magic to engage it as a phenomenological, "practical" human experience. In De Magia naturali, Book II, Lefevre decloaks mythology, philosophy, astrology, literature and religion to a scientific theory, practice and experience of number as Idea. He reveals how the limit of metaphorical imagery is duality, the binary Coincidence of Opposites, symbolized by the number 2. The magic in Lefevre's number mysticism is human experience of numerical ascension from man to God, achieved through the number 3, the love-nexus re-uniting 2 into One, duality into unity. Renaissance humanists conceived of this prisca theologia, pristine or ancient theology, as embodied in the Christian Trinity through the Spirit of Christ. Current Academia is responsible to teach this wisdom tradition from a multicultural, interdisciplinary worldview, as I posit the humanists intended. Number Mysticism; Numerical Ascension; Christian Kabbalah; Renaissance Humanism; Theology; Mythology; Literary Theory_ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank my teachers: Charles, Celeste & Austin; my parents; Thesis Committee, Professors Oliver Berghof & Peter Arnade; and Medieval Curator Consuelo Dutschke, of Columbia Rare Book & Manuscript Library - all of whom have taught me that a childlike heart is the best place to learn. My family's endurance of the thesis process has been stellar, particularly that of my husband without whom this endeavor would not have been undertaken. Dr. Berghof, of UC Irvine and of CSU San Marcos Literature & Writing Studies Department, has been an inspiration whose depth can only be measured in Silence. Scholar Dr. Arnade of CSUSM History Department has listened with patient enthusiasm. Dr. Dutschke has been an exemplary academic colleague. Appreciation to Professor Jason van Boom, Ph.D. student at Graduate Theological Union, for Latin consultation as the thesis process ended when I most needed scholarly camaraderie. I honor the LTWR Faculty, Staff and fellow grad students for caring like a family. Lastly, I thank the Book of Nature, expressed in the literary disciplines through something sacred: Words. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 1. Historical Context and Humanism 2. Justification through Christ the Spirit 15 3. Ascension, Intellect and Love 20 II. TRADITION OF MASTERS & LEGACY IN LANGUAGE 30 1. Italian Background and Contemporary Foreground 2. History and Summary of De Magia naturali 43 3. Snapshot in Time of the Tradition 53 III. METHODOLOGY & BOOK II ON CHRISTIAN KABBALAH 55 1. Stigma of the Non-Christian 2. Book II on Kabbalah 61 3. Network of Christian Kabbalists 76 IV. EQUALITY & UNITY OF THE BINARY 110 1. Primal Metaphors & Myth 2. Experience & History, Metaphorical & Literal 129 3. Poets, Philosophers, & Mythological Beings 140 V. PRIMARY SOURCES & CONCLUDING REMARKS 150 VI. WORKS CITED & WORKS CONSULTED 162 I. INTRODUCTION 1. Historical Context and Humanism Renaissance Catholic reformer Jean Jacques Lefevre, known as Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples, was born around 1455 of humble parentage in the small fishing village of Etaples in the Northeastern province of Picardy, France. 1 His lifetime, 1455-1536, spanned the threshold between the European Medieval and Renaissance eras. After the Valois-Hapsburg Wars resumed in the early 1520's, many homes in the Northeast of France were burned, as well as churches and the records in them. Consequently, little is known of his youth, although it may be conjectured that as a young boy he was singled-out by local clergy as exemplary in intellectual potential, and as was customary, Lefevre was later sent to the University of Paris. Living at the threshold between Medieval and Renaissance world-views, in essence between pagan and modern worlds, Lefevre and other humanists synthesized many philosophical, theological and scientific theories and practices. Exemplary among Lefevre's teachings is his unpublished treatise De Magia naturali, On Natural Magic. 2 Providing historical and intellectual backgrounds, and engaging in critical analysis of Book II as informed by numerous texts, this thesis addresses the conflicting political, religious, and academic opinions of natural magic in Lefevre's time and in our I Historical dates and facts on Lefevre d'Etaples not otherwise cited are from Scott R. Clark's Chronology of the Medieval and Reformation Church, referenced in Works Cited. 20lomouc, universitni Knihovna, ms M I 119, ff. 174-342; Book II begins on f. 198; all further references are cited per Evans transcription-translation work-in-progress pagination, ego Book II begins with page 50, cited "Ch. 1 11:50, f. 198". 2 own. The goals are to demonstrate: that Lefevre never did abandon natural magic, the practical half of philosophYi and that current Academia is ready to expand the historical, "theoretical" treatment of natural magic to engage it as an experiential, "practical" human universal. In the title of De Magia naturali Book II Chapter 10, Lefevre employs the umbrella term, "Priscae velatae Theologiae" or "Ancient veils of Theology" (Evans II:SO, f. 213). Throughout Book II, Lefevre unveils or decloaks mythology, philosophy, astrology, literature and religion to reveal a scientific theory, practice and experience of number as Idea. He reveals how the limit of the metaphorical imagery in disciplines is duality, the binary Coincidence of Opposites, symbolized by the number 2. The magic in Lefevre'S number mysticism is based on human experience of numerical ascension from man to God inherited through a tradition of masters and achieved through the number 3 - identified in Chapter 1 as Venusian love-nexus - reuniting exilic binary into the One, duality into unity (Evans 11:51, f. 199v). Renaissance humanists conceived of this prisca theologia, pristine or ancient theology, as embodied in the Christian Trinity through the Spirit of Christ. Theirs was a mystical vision of universal Holy Spirit beyond dualistic boundaries. Current Academia has the tools to study and teach this tradition, demonstrated in the topic of Lefevre'S Book II, which he calls "Pythagorean philosophy", and which he equates to "Cabala" and prophetic teachings (Evans Ch. 1 11:50, f. 19Si Ch. 14 II:S9-90, f. 217-21Sv). As such, Book II can 3 be categorized as Christian Kabbalah, a springboard for this and future study of the text. The primal architectural metaphor in Christian Kabbalah or prisca theologia is the exilic Fall from One to 2. Exile is expressed mythically as lover below exiled from Beloved above, allegorically in the story of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and metaphorically in Jesus' birth as the Son of God. The final Christian salvation from exile is expressed sacrificially through Jesus' crucifixion when he becomes Christ, the Spirit that unites God and man, completing ascension to the Trinity. Likewise, magic resolves exile anagogically in number mysticism through the mysteries of relationship between above and below, between superior and inferior numbers. Lefevre equates that final Christian sacrifice into salvation with the thoughts of pre Christian philosophers, the words of pre-Christian myths passed down through the oral tradition by the poets of Classical Antiquity, and the actions of pre-Christian magicians or magi: identical in both Negative and Positive theology; identical in both theoretical and practical philosophy - delivering Christianity onto the same Ground of Silence as pagan magic. In "The Revival of Lullism at Paris, 1499-1516," Joseph M. Victor reminds us that, always a devotee of Christ, always a lover of Catholicism, Lefevre cherished the teachings of the Spanish mystic Raymond Lull, who described the universe as a ladder of beings - stones, plants, animals, man, angels, God a giant collection of symbols that led to the divine (Victor online). For the metaphorical scaffolding of Book II itself, Lefevre