ABSTRACT
Joan of Arc is that rare medieval figure, one for whom readers have adequate biographical data. Even though some of the evidence, notably that involving her voices, tends to raise issues not easily addressed within the rules of historical explanation, most of the twists and turns of her life are remarkably well documented, the one obvious exception being the short period during which Charles VII had her examined at Poitiers before putting her in charge of the relief of Orleans. At Poitiers Joan limited her mission to the relief of Orleans, but her nullification trial reaffirmed Charles VII' legitimacy. As Deborah Fraioli will demonstrate in her book on the theology of Joan, what the judges were attempting to show is that they had tried to follow the best contemporary advice, notably Gerson's, on the ways in which fallible human beings could best distinguish between the diabolical and the divine.
