Thought and Poetic Structure in San Juan de la Cruz's Symbol of Night is a comprehensive appraisal of the traditional critical perspectives of mysticism: philosophical, theological, literary, and psychological. Examining the a priori limitations of these approaches, the book presents an original definition of the symbol as an integral whole of experience and expression, and concludes that night is the form - the organizing principle - of spiritual life.
San Juan de la Cruz es el gran desconocido del pueblo cristiano. En los últimos cuarenta años han proliferado métodos de oración y meditación trascendental. Y es precisamente en esa búsqueda por encontrar una guía firme y permanente donde muchos se han topado con san Juan de la Cruz. Al paso que canta la belleza de la creación en sus sublimes poemas, el santo nos recuerda que toda la belleza creada es nada comparada con la divina. Quien renuncie a lo pasajero, superficial e ilusorio, se encontrará con el Todo de Dios. El libro que nos ofrece Isaías A. Rodríguez no pretende sustituir a san Juan en lo que pueda decirnos, sino que nos ayuda a entender lo que san Juan nos dice, a ver los caminos que va señalando, y a seguir las pautas para nuestra peregrinación que es la vida. Saint John of the Cross is the great unknown of the Christian community. The last forty years have seen a growth in prayer methods and transcendental meditation. The search for a guide that teaches such prayer and meditation practices have led many seekers to the teachings of Saint John of the Cross. Like a song that sings the beauty of the creation in its sublime poems, the Saint teaches us that all of the beauty of creation is nothing in comparison with the beauty of the divine. In this book, Isaías A. Rodriguez does not pretend to be able to substitute Saint John in what he can teach us, but he helps us to understand what Saint John says to us, to discover the roads that he shows us, and to stay on course for our life pilgrimage.
"Beginning with a historical essay on the phenomenon of mysticism, Silent Music chronicles St. John's life story - from his humble birth in 1542, through his career as a professional religious, to his death in 1591 - placing the man and his spirituality squarely in their historical-cultural context. Herrera probes the saint's rigorous life of contemplation and his classic writings on such subjects as union with God and the "dark night of the soul," clarifying St. John's understanding of the mystical experience and paying particular attention to the notion of detachment and the recurring motifs of darkness, flame, and ascent in St. John's writings. His careful analysis of St. John's thought is enriched with examples from philosophy, psychology, literature, spirituality, and art - material not usually found in such a study.".
Proceso que va desde la experiencia religiosa a la mística Se trata de seguir un proceso de la experiencia religiosa, que pasa por la experiencia estética, prosigue con la experiencia ética y finalmente concluye con la experiencia mística
Surveys Spanish literature from 1100 to the present, aiming to reveal the subtle nuances of the Christian ingredient in the literature of various epochs of Spanish history. This text seeks to show how the literature reflects powerful, conflicting forces of secularization and supernaturalization.
"Spanish literature includes some of the world's greatest works and authors. It is also one of the most widely studied. This reference looks at the literature of Spain from the perspective of women's studies. Though the volume focuses on the literature of Spain written in Castilian, it also includes survey entries on the present state of women's literature in Catalan, Galician, and Basque. Included are hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries for numerous topics related to Spanish literature, including literary periods and genres, significant characters and character types, major authors and works, and various specialized topics. Each entry discusses how the topic relates to women's studies. Entries for male authors discuss their attitudes toward women. Female writers are considered for the restrictive cultural contexts in which they wrote. Specific works are examined for their representations of female characters and their handling of women's issues. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and closes with a brief bibliography. The volume concludes with a list of works for further reading."--Back cover.
