The Theophilus Legend in Medieval Text and Image by Jerry Root (review)

As an Associate Professor in French and Comparative Literature, Jerry Root does not fail to impress with the scope of this work, providing a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the visual and textual representations of the Theophilus legend across fifty-four French manuscripts. The legend tells the story of the downfall and subsequent redemption of Theophilus, a bishop who signed a pact with the devil to gain material wealth and power. It recounts his spiritual revelation and devotion to the Virgin Mary, who intercedes, nullifying the contract and guiding him on his journey to redemption. Root analyses both the textual and visual representations of this legend, focusing on the redemptive value of devotional images and their significance as a vehicle for representations of medieval anxieties of identity. Root argues that the legend is 'a performance of the theological understanding of the imago—one individual's journey from dissemblance to resemblance' (p. 201). He conceives the valorization of images as an important part of the individual's journey from dissemblance—the human state resulting from original sin—to restoration to the likeness of God's image. Following scholars such as Cynthia Hahn and Michael Camille, Root argues for the changing nature of the gaze from extramission, wherein the object is produced by the gaze, to intromission, wherein the image looks back, engaging the audience's response. Root asserts that Theophilus's active devotional vision of the Virgin enables an interaction with her, in which she reveals 'a similitude which allows him a new kind of image of himself and a way out of the region of unlikeness' (p. 11). Hence, the Theophilus legend is seen to actively encourage this new way of seeing as a pathway towards redemption fostering a positive self-image. These points are well integrated and do not detract from his key argument, which maintains that the Theophilus legend actively promotes the power of devotional images and the way in which it harnesses them to appeal to aspects of medieval identity.

The structure of this work is well justified and insightful, providing a fruitful framework to integrate Root's discussion of this theological journey with pertinent social and religious matters relevant to medieval identity. Chapter 1, 'Homage to the Devil: Ritual, Writing and Seal', explores the role of the contract with the devil and rituals of homage, drawing parallels with aspects of social responsibilities and obligations. Here the author argues that the contract represents a reciprocal social bond and the power of ritual homage in enabling self-realization and self-determination. The second and third chapters, 'The Self as Dissemblance' and 'Intervention of the Virgin', develop the argument for the legend as an exemplar of the journey from dissemblance to resemblance and the shift from negative to positive self-image. The former explores the notion of dissemblance as otherness and the power of divine versus individual agency in restoring the positive image through self-reflection. In the latter, Root examines the role of the physical 'ymage' as a mediator between the human and divine spheres, and of the Virgin Mary in facilitating the shift to resemblance. The final chapter, 'Sacramental Action and Neoplatonic Exemplarism', examines the final stages of Theophilus's journey. This chapter provides a compelling argument for the way in which the legend showcases the subordination to the Church hierarchy and rituals of public devotion in completing the transformation back to resemblance as both a confirmation and demonstration of renewed faith and identity.

The methodological choice of comparative analysis is unsurprising given Root's speciality, particularly with such an abundant collection of primary material. Addressing the collection as a whole allows Root to provide a general overview of how the legend engages with key social and cultural issues. This approach does have its drawbacks, however, as it does not allow the scope for conclusions to be drawn about many of the patterns and divergences...