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

Spanish Literature: Medieval Period and Transition (13th-15th Centuries)

The Mester de Clerecía

The Mester de Clerecía refers to all works composed by clerics during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It emerged in monasteries, intended to teach people religious customs and serve as a form of propaganda.

Key Features of the Mester de Clerecía

• Content: Texts of religious and ethical content.
• Purpose: Composed by clerics with a didactic goal: to teach Christian role models.
• Metric: The cuaderna vía was used (four monorhyme Alexandrine verses of 14 syllables).
• Transmission: It was primarily oral, as most people were illiterate, disseminated through public reading or recitation.

Notable authors include Gonzalo de Berceo (thirteenth century) and... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Key Works and Authors of the Middle Ages (13th-15th Centuries)" »

ITEM 1: Church: "The Church is one," has only one Lord, confesses one faith, and one baptism. The Church is holy: through it, you reach the message of Jesus and his saving power. The Church is catholic because Christ is present in it. The Church is apostolic, founded on the apostles and attached to the same tradition. ITEM 2: Vocabulary:

• Beaten: pagan religion, that is, people who are not baptized and worship idols or other representations of divinity.
• Edict: mandate or decree issued by a competent authority.
• Caesaropapism: situation in which the head of state assumes the powers of the religious leader.

The Church faithful to the apostolic tradition: the heresies are misinterpretations of Christian doctrine. The Church leaders tried to clarify... Continue reading "Understanding the Role and Structure of the Church" »

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

The Healing of the Cripple and the Resurrection of Tabitha

Masolino and Masaccio Collaboration

Location: Right wall, upper register.

These two combined scenes correspond to the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 3 and 9, respectively. This work is attributed primarily to Masolino with a minor contribution by Masaccio, reflecting the common artistic collaborations of the time. Christ has already died and risen; this depicts the era of the early Christians.

St. Peter heals the cripple on the left and revives the dead (Tabitha) on the right. Some figures kneel before him while other standing men express surprise.

Architectural and Stylistic Analysis

• The porch lacks the precision of Brunelleschi, featuring a rushed vanishing point that fails to deliver proper

Monastic Reforms in the Middle Ages

Monastic reforms during the Middle Ages (5th to 11th centuries) saw Benedictine monasteries play a crucial role in religious life, as well as in social and cultural development. They taught farmers to cultivate the land and were guardians of classical culture. Their abbots often became powerful feudal lords, necessitating a careful reform. This reform took place in the 10th and 11th centuries, with two primary focuses:

• The Cluniac Reform (910 AD)

  The Abbey of Cluny, founded in 910 AD, saw its monks begin to restore the great principles of the Rule of St. Benedict. To achieve this, it became independent of temporal power and reformed the customs that had been introduced in its dependent monasteries. Cluny's influence

The Cult of Dionysus: God of Ecstasy and Wine

Dionysus, or Bacchus to the Romans, is theoretically the god of wine, though his domain extends beyond it. He is primarily the god of ecstasy, often associated with wine and frenzied dance. Evidence suggests his worship dates back to the Minoan-Mycenaean period, with a name resembling di-wo-no-he-ho appearing on a tablet from Pylos, possibly a theonym or a theophoric anthroponym.

Origins and Early Acceptance

While the cult of Dionysus appears to have faded in earlier periods, it re-emerged strongly at the end of the Archaic period. Its acceptance was often met with resistance, as mythologies depict Dionysus driving mad those who opposed his worship.

Practices and Spread

The Dionysian cult was seemingly... Continue reading "Ancient Mystery Cults: Dionysus and Orphism's Enduring Legacy" »

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" »

Ignacio Iglesias: Social Drama and Freedom

Ignacio Iglesias was one of the most important playwrights of the first generation of Catalan Modernism. His social dramas championed the right to freedom in shaping individual destiny. The work of Iglesias received international recognition and was translated into several languages.

Joan Puig i Ferreter: Social & Moral Reflection

Joan Puig i Ferreter's theatrical productions and novels addressed issues of social and moral reflection. For Puig i Ferreter, the figure of the artist embodied the highest values of humanity's genius and seer.

Key Dramas by Puig i Ferreter

• The Cheerful Lady (1904)
• The Lady Love (1908)
• Enchanted Waters (1908)
• The Great Alejo (1912)

Synopsis of Enchanted Waters (1908)

This play... Continue reading "Modernist Voices in Catalan Drama: Iglesias, Puig i Ferreter, Rusiñol" »

Family: A group of individuals directly linked by kinship ties, whose adult members are responsible for the care of children.

Relationship: Kinship ties are established between individuals through marriage or by linking genealogical lines as blood relatives.

Marriage: A socially approved sexual union between two adult individuals.

Nuclear Family: Two adults living together with biological or adopted children.

Extended Family: Includes the married couple and children, as well as other relatives.

Monogamy: A culturally approved sexual relationship between one woman and one man.

Polygamy: Being married to two or more persons at the same time (concept studied by George Murdock).

Polygyny: One man married to more than one woman at the same time.

Polyandry:

Foreign Travel

Foreign travel is the route taken by one or more characters through various physical spaces. These places can be known or unknown, mysterious, even bizarre and fantastic.

• Example: Cruise by John Updike.

Inner Journey (Psychological Transformation)

The inner journey is a scan performed in the privacy of a character, considering their spiritual, intellectual, and character development. Those undertaking this kind of travel experience changes in their way of seeing the world and their own life. It often leads to the internal transformation of the protagonist.

• Example: Canaima by Rómulo Gallegos.

Mythic Journey

Originating from the Classical period, the mythic journey is characterized by the presence of a hero who must undertake a quest... Continue reading "Literary Journeys: Types, Themes, and Historical Context" »