Heloise and Abelard by Étienne GilsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Man, I’m just so into Heloise.
- She was really into Stoicism, and I think she actually just embodied the philosophy of the Stoics in a really cool way–she has this quality of self-awareness, and accepting things as they are, while still striving for demanding ideals.
- She doesn’t want to get married, because she thinks marriage would compromise Abelard’s work and integrity–instead, she argues for being his mistress.
“God knows I never wanted anything from you but yourself … No doubt the name of wife is stronger and more sacred, but I have always preferred that of mistress, or if you will pardon me for saying it, concubine and prostitute.”
- She combines an unconditional and irrevocable love for Abelard with a total willingness to argue with him, be disappointed in him, or call him out on his bullshit.
“Concupiscence rather than friendship bound you to me, the ardor of desire rather than love. This is no personal judgment, my beloved, this is the judgment of everyone … I wish I were alone in thinking so, because if anyone could justify you, it would relieve my sorrow.”
- She is totally frank about the fact that she spends Mass having sexual fantasies about Abelard instead of praying.
“The pleasures of lovers which we have tasted together have been so sweet that I cannot despise them nor even efface their memory without great difficulty … It is not until the time of Mass, when prayer should be purest, that the obscene imagining of these pleasures so completely overwhelms my poor soul that I yield to their shameful delectation rather than to prayer.”
- She doesn’t expect to go to heaven, despite leading what seems to be an admirable life as a nun, because she became a nun for Abelard rather than for God, and she will never forgive God for causing Abelard to be castrated.
View all my reviews