Saint Joan | Religion and Philosophy
The author argues that Saint Joan is not only a ‘‘religious play,’’ but also a play about ‘‘military Genius.’’
We turn to Saint Joan. It is generally regarded as a very religious play. True, there are many clergymen in it and a lot of talk about God and much wrangling over theology, but it is very difficult to understand how Joan of Arc qualified as a saint. She was a military genius. This is very rare, even among men—can you think of a military genius during World War I? For an uneducated country girl to have possessed it is extraordinary indeed. But what has this to do with religion? The French novelist, Huysmans, has expressed the regret that Joan of Arc ever rose to wrest France from...
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