Demoniac, harlot, helper, herald: Mary Magdalene is one of the most fascinating figures in the New Testament. Few verses mention her by name; instead, tradition has conflated many other Gospel women with her, and sometimes even given her an non-Scriptural epilogue. In this work—part treatise, part prayer—Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle combines all the traditions about Magdalene: she is the demoniac, the sinful woman who anointed Jesus, Mary of Bethany, and a hermit in France. Out of this Magdalene, he creates an exemplar for the spiritual life, a model of "crucifying love"; he acclaims her as the greatest saint after the Virgin Mary. Whether the reader accept all his conflated traditions or not, the Magdalene that Bérulle portrays is a striking example of devotion and love, both in Jesus' presence and--perhaps even more so--in His absence. This work also helps introduce Bérulle's theology to the English-speaking world, from which it has been almost completely absent. In addition to the Elevation itself, this volume includes a few other writings by Bérulle on Magdalene, and the footnotes provide frequent reference to his other works and his wider theology. On the author: Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle (1575-1629) was a French priest, theologian, and royal advisor. He guided the Carmelites—recently reformed by St. Teresa of Ávila—in establishing themselves in France. He later founded the Oratory of Jesus, a society of parish priests. He is considered the founder of the French School of Spirituality, which influenced prominent saints like Vincent de Paul, John Eudes, and Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. His greatest work is the Discourses on the State and on the Grandeur of Jesus , passages of which can be found in the footnotes to this volume.