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

Origins and Publication of La Celestina

First published in 1499, coinciding with the invention of printing, the work initially carried no title. Later editions were titled Callisto and Melibea or Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea. The title The Matchmaker (La Celestina) originated from an edition published in Alcalá.

The Authorship of Fernando de Rojas

Fernando de Rojas stated that while in Salamanca, the first act of the play—written by an unknown author—fell into his hands. He liked it so much that he continued the work, writing the remaining 15 acts in just 15 days. While the author of the first act remains unknown, Rojas is the recognized author of the rest. Born in the village of Montalbán, Rojas was a converso (convert) and a Bachelor... Continue reading "La Celestina: Masterpiece of Spanish Literature" »

The Soul's Pursuit of Happiness and Divine Union

Being the Sushumna body, it is made up by the soul, and the soul is also part of him and constitutes hope, longing, and delight. In regard to pleasure and delight, Augustine came to view them as the greater source of human action. When Saint Augustine seeks God, he seeks happiness and understands that, just as the body lives by the soul, the soul lives by full union with God. God is true happiness, for God is real and adds a softness greater than any pleasure. Sweet happiness is the last resting place, which is why it is understood as the immense good for which we sigh; it is the enjoyment of peace. This happiness was indeed supreme, but it could not be expressed by words; it was inwardly enjoyed... Continue reading "Augustine's Philosophy: Soul, Happiness, and Knowledge" »

Visigothic Art in Hispania (5th–8th Centuries)

Visigothic art flourished in Hispania from the 5th century until the Muslim invasion in 711. It synthesized Greco-Roman classical heritage, early Christian traditions, and Byzantine and Eastern barbarian influences.

Historical Stages

• Early Period: Up to 587.
• Conversion: Conversion to Catholicism under King Reccared (587).
• Decline: Ended with the Muslim invasion (711).

Architecture

Visigothic architecture is characterized by robust construction and specific decorative motifs:

• Plan: Often basilica floor plans or Greek cross plans.
• Structure: Barrel vaults, walls of ashlar masonry, and a notable lack of windows, resulting in dark interiors.
• Features: Square apses, horseshoe arches (often slightly narrower

Lazarillo de Tormes: Key Aspects

1. Editions and Authorship

Lazarillo de Tormes:

• Written after 1521.
• Published in 1554.
• Published three editions: Burgos, Alcalá, and Antwerp.
• Author: Anonymous, although many theories exist about the author.

2. Argument (Plot Summary)

This is an autobiographical novel written in the form of a letter. It consists of a prologue and seven treatises addressed to a certain "Your Grace." It recounts how the wife of the protagonist, Lázaro, has taken a lover (the Archpriest of San Salvador).

The novel follows a humble protagonist, Lázaro, who is fatherless and whose mother is living in a common-law marriage (amancebada).

3. Structure and Setting

The novel's setting is urban, taking place in Salamanca, Escalona, and Toledo.... Continue reading "Lazarillo de Tormes: Authorship, Structure, and Themes" »

The Pentateuch

• Genesis: Creation, the world, humanity, and the people of Israel.
• Exodus: The departure from Egypt led by Moses.
• Leviticus: Laws regarding holiness and worship.
• Numbers: The Israelites' journey through the desert.
• Deuteronomy: Meaning the "Second Law."

Historical Books

• Deuteronomistic History: Contains six books (Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings) covering the entry into Canaan through the Babylonian exile.
• Chronicles and Post-Exilic Books: 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, focusing on the restoration after the Babylonian exile.
• Maccabees: 1 & 2 Maccabees cover 40 years of Jewish history in the second century BC.
• Literary Fiction: Tobit, Ruth, Esther, and Judith are considered literary works for pedagogical

Desire, Passion and Death

Desire and Its Features

Desire and passion. Desire is a movement of our psychic activity: we reach toward an object impulsively. We consider desire a source of satisfaction. I want to highlight three features:

1. Failure: Desire is the wish for something one does not possess.
2. Excess: Desire often lives in the world of excess; it goes beyond mere need.
3. Conflict and unrest: Desire can be based on conflict and cause intranquility; at extremes it can include a wish to die when it reaches positions opposed to its objective.

Value and Positions on Desire

We can recognize different views about the value of desire:

1. Positive view: Recognize desire as a fundamental human aspect; this position maintains that desire is an essential reality.

Dante's Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy is Dante Alighieri's most important work (1265 621) and is considered one of the most important works of Italian and world literature.

It is a medieval epic poem describing the structure of the afterlife according to the conception of its time. The book has three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paradiso (Paradise). Each part consists of 33 cantos written in interlocking tercets of hendecasyllabic lines (terza rima).

Features

The title Commedia (comedy) follows Aristotle's poetics, which defined comedy as a work with a happy ending in contrast to tragedy (Aristotle). The adjective Divina (divine) was added later, in the 14th century.

Many episodes emphasize sin and excessive punishment; the... Continue reading "Dante's Divine Comedy — Inferno, Purgatory & Paradise" »

Celestina: A Dramatic Analysis

Celestina: A dialogical work (without voice-over), dramatic in character, though probably not intended to be represented, but read out in 25 acts. It is also known as El alta. It is divided first by the other anonymous author, then written by Fernando de Rojas, a Toledan convert.

Structure

Approach: Act 1

Argument: Calisto loves Melibea and is rejected by her. He expresses despair to Sempronius, his servant, who suggests using an old bawd whose name was Celestina. Sempronius and Celestina, who is later joined by Parmeno—another servant of Callisto—are associated for the economic benefit of the young man.

Development: Acts II-XVIII

Argument: Celestina, through a spell and her ability to persuade, awakens love in... Continue reading "Celestina: A Dramatic Analysis of Characters and Structure" »

Universal Moral Values in World Religions

DBEN solutions seem fair and impartial to a reasonable observer. Q-values and norms are proposed to be universalizable across both religion and ethics. While they may differ significantly, we must consider the moral question of whether major religions share common moral points.

Major Religions and Shared Ethics

The major religions include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. These great religions share common moral elements, for example:

• The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• The recognition of inherent human dignity, often referred to as basic human rights.

Material vs. Formal Ethics

Material Ethics

Material ethics proposes that a supreme good or happiness exists... Continue reading "Moral Philosophy and Ethics: Universal Values and Socratic Wisdom" »

Hospital Patient Variable Coding and Field Definitions

This document lists corrected and standardized variable coding entries. Spelling, grammar, and capitalization have been corrected without removing any original content. Field lengths and annex references are preserved.

Variable Coding List

1. 1 - The eleventh variable is coded as the NECESSARY CMBD. Codify this variable for a patient in the hospital who enters the waiting list from surgery (LEQ). 1-digit text field.
2. 2 - The variable is coded as PROC_HK. Codify and use the annex to record this variable for a patient admitted to Virgen del Rocío from H. H. Infanta Elena. 5-digit text field. Annex 4 or 5. 02036
3. 3 - The variable is coded as AFILSS. 12-digit text field.
4. 4 - The variable is coded as