The Book of Margery Kempe

A confessor is a priest who hears confessions of sins. Margery Kempe mentions several confessors throughout her book, but her closest and most important was an anchorite near King’s Lynn called “Master R.” in the text. This man was probably Robert Spryngolde. Margery consistently describes his support for her in the face of numerous detractors and the importance of his spiritual guidance.

A friar is a priest and traveling monk. These men belonged to monastic orders known as “mendicant” (from the Latin mendicare, meaning “to beg”) like the Dominicans, Franciscans, or Carmelites. They depended on the goodwill and donations of the communities in which they publicly preached. Margery’s book occasionally refers to “white” friars or monks who are English Carmelite monks dressed in white robes.

Defined as undeserved kindness from God, “God's grace” holds a significant role in Kempe’s autobiography, as her encounters with Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and saints are seen as manifestations of this divine favor. Kempe attributes her endurance and mystical experiences to God's grace, emphasizing them as a gift rather than earned through personal merit. Throughout the book, the concept of God’s grace shapes Kempe’s relationship with the divine, influencing her spiritual understanding and encounters.

Lollardy was a late medieval English heresy that prefigured the Protestant Reformation. It began with Oxford don and cleric, John Wycliffe (d. 1384). Wycliffe critiqued clerical corruption and the Catholic concept of transubstantiation. He also translated the Bible into English (from Latin). Use of the vernacular was unacceptable in the medieval Catholic Church. The term “Lollard” was a pejorative that meant one who was uneducated and therefore unable to understand Latin. Wycliffe’s writings became popular in Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) where they influenced the heretical and proto-nationalist Hussite movement that survives as today’s Moravian Church.

Clerics and laypeople accuse Margery Kempe of being a Lollard on multiple occasions. Nevertheless, she proves her dedication to traditional Catholic theology, like transubstantiation, when questioned. Lollards argued for a collective priesthood, and some Lollard women reportedly preached. Margery fell under suspicion because she instructed others, sometimes publicly, but she counters that this does not constitute preaching as she has no pulpit.

A monastery is a religious retreat or community where monks or nuns live a disciplined life dedicated to spiritual pursuits. These communities often adhere to a specific religious order, following a set of rules. Kempe’s encounters with monks and discussions about her religious life often involve interactions with monastic communities.