St. Vincent Ferrer's Sermons & 14th Century Crisis: Key Aspects

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 plague devastated populations.
• The Church experienced a schism with two popes for 40 years, dividing loyalties.
• Religious anguish, fear, and insecurity gripped the people.

Eiximenis' Relationship with Valencia

Eiximenis acted as a trusted advisor to the jurors of Valencia and incorporated elements of their works.

Main Features of Eiximenis' Christian Encyclopedia

Eiximenis created an encyclopedia-like work for laypeople to understand Christianity. It consisted of 12 books (only 4 are known):

• Book 1 introduces Christianity.
• Book 2 analyzes the problem of temptations.
• Book 3 discusses sins.
• Book 12 is a political treatise on the government of cities, using simple language and everyday advice.

The Role of Preaching

The role of preaching in that era was to persuade and transform.

Differences Between Ferrer and Eiximenis

Both Ferrer and Eiximenis were preachers who sought to strengthen Christianity. Ferrer used a direct style to convince, while Eiximenis employed irony to address problems.

Royal Chancellery

The Royal Chancellery was the administrative body responsible for drafting, copying, and retaining royal documents.

Language Used

The dominant languages used by secretaries were Latin, Catalan, and Aragonese.

Main Features of the Chancellery Language

The chancellery developed a model of cultured prose based on Latin, which stabilized in Catalan and became the official language.

Cultural Influences

The chancellery served as a center for the introduction of new cultural currents from Italian humanism during the Quattrocento.

Lo Somni (The Dream) by Joan Roís de Corella

Why Corella Wrote Lo Somni

Corella wrote Lo Somni to defend himself against accusations and to seek rehabilitation before the king.

Content of Lo Somni

The work covers the following:

1. Corella appears with Orpheus and Tiresias, engaging in a dialogue on immortality.
2. He speaks with John about his death.
3. Orpheus explains his love for Eurydice and his descent into the underworld. Tiresias attacks violence against women and passionate love of nature.
4. Tiresias praises Corella with compliments about outstanding women.

Characteristics of Lo Somni

The prose varies from short sentences to long, elegant periods, with a balanced presence of Latinized lexical constructions.

Humanism

Humanism designates the historical renewal of classical studies and interest in classical works and earthly delights. It involved re-examining classical works and interacting more with classical thought, leading to greater worship of classical ideals.