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

Euripides: Life and Influence

Euripides was born in Salamis on September 23, 480 BC. He died in Macedonia in 406 BC. His work takes up the themes of Sophocles' tragedies, especially concerning the genealogy of the sons of Atreus. Euripides' work was influential in Latino theater and later in the French Renaissance drama theater. Only seventeen of his tragedies have been retained.

Major Works

• Electra
• Helen
• The Trojan Women
• Alcestis
• Hippolytus
• Medea
• Orestes
• Iphigenia in Aulis
• The Bacchae
• The Cyclops

Main Theme: Electra

Electra was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She was absent from Mycenae when her father returned from the war and was killed (along with his concubine) by Aegisthus, Clytemnestra's lover, and Clytemnestra herself. Eight years later,... Continue reading "Euripides: Life, Works, and Themes in His Tragedies" »

The Interplay of Faith and Reason

This document explores the scope of reason and how a believer accepts certain truths through an act of faith. These include the Preamble of Faith, which encompasses rationally intelligible and demonstrable truths such as the existence of God and the immortality of the soul.

Philosophy and Theology: Complementary Orders

Faith and reason are complementary. They represent two distinct but harmonious orders:

• The Natural Order: This stems from human reason, leading to the development of philosophy and natural science.
• The Order of Revelation: This comes from divine knowledge, revealing truths beyond the full grasp of reason, which the believer accepts through an act of faith.

Within the order of revelation, we encounter... Continue reading "Faith, Reason, and the Nature of Existence" »

Fuenteovejuna: Key Characters and Their Roles

Fernán Gómez: Commander of Calatrava

The Commander of the Order of Calatrava, under whose jurisdiction the village of Fuenteovejuna falls. He is the primary antagonist of the drama, an ambitious man who abuses his power for personal gain. He is also a political enemy of the monarchs.

Frondoso: Laurencia's Lover

A young lover in the drama, who ignites the central conflict when, defending his beloved Laurencia from the Commander's offenses, he threatens the Commander with his sword.

Laurencia: Voice of the People

A young woman deeply in love with Frondoso. Indignant at the Commander's insolence and his personal victimization of her, she becomes the powerful voice of the people, inspiring them to rise... Continue reading "Fuenteovejuna Characters: Roles and Significance in Lope de Vega's Drama" »

Key Greek Vocabulary

Psyche:

Mind

Phileo:

Love, attract

Sophia:

Knowing

Hemi:

Half

Isos:

Equal

Homo:

Same

The Family Structure in Ancient Greece

(Composed of parents, children, their spouses, and slaves)

Women and Marriage in Ancient Greece

Marriage, under which the wife was under the tutelage of her husband, was desired by every woman. It could be dissolved by divorce, but only the husband could request it without giving reasons and retain custody of the children.

The life of women in Greece was confined to the private sphere, while men were involved in all public activities.

Children and Recognition

The father was forced to recognize his offspring, though he could leave it exposed in a conspicuous place in case anyone wanted to adopt them. Recognized Greek... Continue reading "Social Structure and Education in Ancient Greece" »

Core Lexical Relationships

Antonymy: Lexical Opposition

A relationship between two words with opposite meanings.

Types of Antonyms:

• Complementary Antonyms: Affirmation of one lexical unit implies the negation of the other (e.g., live – dead).
• Gradual Antonyms: Opposition between two concepts that allow for different degrees or intermediate terms (e.g., large – small).
• Reverse Antonyms: Two words representing the same reality from alternative viewpoints, where the meaning of one implies the other (e.g., father – son).

Polysemy

The plurality of meanings associated with the same word.

Homonymy

The relationship between two words that share the same form (signifier) but have different meanings.

Types of Homonyms:

• Homophones: Aural identity but different

San Clemente tahullas. Certainly, the paintings that covered the apse of San Clemente tahullas and are now preserved in the Museum of Art of Catalonia, are one of the best works of its kind in Spain and all of Europe. The vaulted apse oven is painted with a wonderful Christ in Majesty (Maiestas) in a Byzantine style, surrounded by four angels bearing the symbols of the evangelists. Below runs a frieze which appears part of the apostolic college. Within the traditional representations of the "Pantocrator" Romanesque, it is undoubtedly the most majestic, noble, and full of divine transcendence of all those represented in the international Romanesque. To this work, perfect symmetry and geometric design of her face and her whole tahullas figura.... Continue reading "Romanesque Art: San Clemente, Vera Cruz, and Islamic Influence" »

St. Vincent Ferrer's Sermons and Influence

How did St. Vincent Ferrer influence his audience? He created a huge expectation among the people and was quick to incorporate their perspectives into his sermons.

Preaching Techniques of St. Vincent Ferrer

St. Vincent Ferrer used modulated, almost yelling exclamations and onomatopoeia to create emotional and amazing effects, holding the audience's attention. He promoted dialogue within his sermons, dramatized the stories he told, used simple theatrical imagery, and always related doctrine to reality with examples and arguments.

The Crisis of the Fourteenth Century

Several factors contributed to the crisis of the fourteenth century:

• Wars and the relentless advance of the Turks threatened trade routes.
• The

The Conception of Love in Troubadour Poetry

Courtly Love: An Ideology of Desire

What historically distinguishes troubadour poetry is its treatment of love, often referred to as courtly love. This ideology of love, characteristic of the poetry, introduces desire as a value in itself. It typically involves a long distance from the beloved object, as this distance can perpetuate desire. This type of love often entails a supplicant's consideration, a concept that reproduces the mindsets of European feudal society. Courtly love acquires a noble and distinctive lay character. A culture of love was created around it, where certain behaviors might be considered bad manners or even lust.

Ramon Llull's Philosophical Contributions

Llull's Critique of Authority

Precursors to the Reformation

Early criticisms foreshadowed the Reformation. The Western Schism (or Great Schism), where rival popes resided in Rome and Avignon (France), weakened papal authority. Figures like John Huss also challenged the Church, advocating for reforms such as translating the Bible into vernacular languages; Huss was ultimately executed for his views.

The Religious Reformation Begins

The definitive break within the Catholic Church occurred in the mid-16th century. One major catalyst was Pope Leo X's promotion of indulgences – payments solicited for the forgiveness of sins. This money was intended, in part, to fund the completion of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. These practices provoked strong opposition.

Martin Luther and Lutheranism

Martin

The Path to Receptivity: Silence, Encounter, and the Self

Every encounter of love begins with personal silence, which creates capacity and opens gates for true meeting (*encuentro*). We can imagine the heart as a huge reservoir filled with water—the usual concerns, joys, and anxieties—everything personal. If the surrounding gates are opened, all that flows out, and the person becomes receptive. In the relationship with God, silence is needed to create a place where the God of love can be received.

Welcoming Freedom Without Prejudice

Welcome without prejudice is necessary to truly embrace freedom, ruling out the limitations that prejudices carry. God, through the Word, addresses us in the nature of pain or happiness. The Bible gives us two... Continue reading "Silence, Receptivity, and the Divine Encounter: Finding Ultimate Meaning" »