Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Religion

Alberto Méndez's *The Blind Sunflowers*: A Post-War Reflection

The text before us belongs to the book The Blind Sunflowers, by Alberto Méndez (1941-2005), a writer unknown until the appearance of this work, but connected to the world of publishing and the author of scripts for television. Despite being his first and only book (the author died eleven months after publication), The Blind Sunflowers was met with unanimous recognition from critics and was posthumously awarded the prestigious 2005 National Book Award and the 2005 Critics' Prize.

The work consists of four separate stories cleverly interwoven with each other. In these stories are narrated personal defeats framed in the most difficult period of the Spanish Civil War, the years 1936... Continue reading "Alberto Méndez's The Blind Sunflowers: A Post-War Reflection" »

Personal Perspectives on Death

It's how we face death, what attitude we take. The personal attitudes towards death may be:

Rebellion Against Death

A tragic revolt against death, because in the end, we all die. In this position, Albert Camus said that to be rebelling against death is a form of loyalty to life. He rebels against death because it is the great injustice, saying that man should never be complicit in death, that it is the greater sin. Man has a more dignified and more human way to rebel against death, delaying its arrival.

Ironic Indifference to Death

"I'm indifferent to death." Heroism does not make sense because if I do not care about death, nor do I care about life. Kafka is the referent of this position. Kafka experienced the fascination... Continue reading "Personal Perspectives on Death: Rebellion to Acceptance" »

The Wheat and the Tares

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and left. But when the grass sprouted and produced grain, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the tares come from?' He told them, 'An enemy has done this.' And the servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you pull up the tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First collect the tares and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into... Continue reading "Parables of the Wheat, Lost Sheep, Virgins, and Samaritan" »

A Praying Church: Reform and the Pilgrim

The Reform of the Monasteries

Benedictine monasteries exerted an important role in both religious and social life and culture. They taught farmers to cultivate land and were the guardians of traditional culture but lost to the abuse of power and, therefore, needed a reform that occurred in the 11th century. Two lights were the main reform:

• The Abbey of Cluny (910): The monks began to restore the great principles of the Rule of St. Benedict to become independent of time and reformed the customs.
• The Cistercian Abbey of Cîteaux: The Cluny monks were falling because of some mistakes committed by their predecessors. After two centuries, Roberto of Molesme tried to return to the primitive rigor of Cluny and

The text is taken from a document which makes an analysis. The piece discussed is aimed at a general audience, so it is written in academic language but with simple wording. This informative intention is manifested in the almost total absence of jargon in the text. The text falls into the category of humanistic texts, as it addresses a topic related to society and human life. It presents an expository-argumentative structure: it presents ideas about a topic in an orderly fashion and explains a thesis that supports arguments with examples.

The author of the text takes a sociological portrait of youth. The main thesis is related to their attitude. This attitude manifests itself in certain behaviors.

The text is organized in three parts:

• The first

Early Poems (Orihuela Period)

In his first poems, written during his formative years, Miguel Hernández incorporated symbols drawn directly from the environment of his native Orihuela. Examples include the fig tree, prominently featured in "Recuerdo" and "Insomnia". The image of the shepherd also frequently accompanies the poet.

Initial Phase

Key poems from this phase include:

• "Lujuria" ("Lust"), where he explores erotic desire through the lens of bucolic poetry.
• "En tu boca" ("In Your Mouth"), where he presents the female form using soft and gentle metaphors.

"Perito en lunas" (1933)

Published in Murcia, "Perito en lunas" ("Moon Surveyor") consists of 42 stanzas, paying homage to the poet Góngora and his style of culteranismo. Key symbols in this... Continue reading "Miguel Hernández's Poetic Symbols: Imagery and Meaning" »

Economy and Trade

Economic Activities

The economy was based on agriculture, highly developed crafts, and trade.

Why Highlight Craftsmanship?

Craftsmanship was highlighted through activities like weaving and silversmithing.

Craft's Role in City Development

Craftsmanship was important for the development of cities.

The Almotacén's Function

The almotacén was an official who regulated the souks and markets.

Factors Favoring Foreign Trade

Foreign trade was favored due to the privileged geographical situation of al-Andalus.

Imports to Al-Andalus

Imports included slaves and luxury goods such as spices, gold, etc.

Exports from Al-Andalus

Products exported from al-Andalus included textiles, oil, leather, ceramics, weapons, and wooden objects.

Coins Used in Trade

The... Continue reading "Al-Andalus: Society, Cities, and Economy" »

Saint Benedict and His Time: Benedict of Nursia

Patriarch of Western monks and founder of the Benedictine order. Born into a patrician family, he studied rhetoric, philosophy, and law in Rome. The evidence of his life, told by St. Gregory the Great in the second book of his Dialogues, is unreliable. It is said that at twenty, he fled to the desert of Subiaco, where a Roman monk imposed the monastic habit on him. Soon, he founded twelve monasteries. The fame of his holiness brought him the enmity of other neighboring priests, so he left Subiaco and settled at Monte Cassino, where he built a monastery on the ruins of an ancient pagan temple. Around the year 540, he wrote his famous Rule, which set humility, selflessness, and obedience as cornerstones... Continue reading "Saint Benedict of Nursia and His Era" »

Sigismund's Journey: From Imprisonment to Redemption

The Prophecy and Imprisonment

King Basilio of Poland imprisoned his son, Sigismund, from a young age. A prophecy foretold that Sigismund, upon ascending the throne, would become a cruel and unjust tyrant, ultimately overthrowing his father. Only Clotaldo, Sigismund's tutor, was permitted to visit him during his confinement.

The Test of Freedom

Years later, King Basilio, questioning the prophecy's validity, decided to test its truth. He had Sigismund freed under the influence of narcotics and treated as king. However, upon experiencing freedom and power, Sigismund committed atrocities, killing a servant and threatening the court, including Basilio himself. Witnessing his son's behavior, the king... Continue reading "Sigismund's Journey: Imprisonment to Redemption in Poland" »

Abstract: The Skin and the Princess, winner of the Josep Pla Prize 2004, is a love story and an investigation into the mechanisms of power. Sebastián Alzamora recreates the tale of the courtship between Pupp and Princess Mary with overwhelming force. Their luminous sensuality and infinite love are reborn in every encounter, regardless of time and identity. Set in Prague during the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War, the story unfolds amidst court intrigues. Duke Anthony, King Frederick, Queen Juana, and Rabbi Judah Loew (Pupp's mentor and protector) are all involved as conspirators and victims in a game of violence and sex. Among them, the Golem, an artificial human, plays a unique role. With expressive prose, Alzamora braids a romantic story... Continue reading "The Skin and the Princess: A Novel of Love, Power, and Intrigue in 17th Century Prague" »