Description
On the Threnodies or Lamentations of Jeremiah
Book Summary
This work offers a critical edition of the rhetorical and devotional exercise of amplification that Saint Francis Borgia carried out between 1556 and 1557 based on the Lamentations of Jeremiah. The text, conceived for both the pulpit and the classroom, constitutes an exceptional testimony to the complex spirituality of the early years of the Society of Jesus. Through a rigorous analysis of its transmission, the reader gains access to a key piece for understanding the connections between early Jesuit spirituality and "alumbrado" (illuminist) groups such as those of Valladolid.
What is it about?
Saint Francis Borgia, already a professed Jesuit, developed an amplified commentary on the Lamentations of Jeremiah, a biblical text from the Old Testament. The work was conceived as a rhetorical and devotional exercise, intended to be used in preaching and teaching. The study of its textual transmission reveals a complex chain of copies and versions, which the editor has reconstructed to offer the most reliable text. Beyond its philological value, the work is a fundamental document for understanding the spiritual currents that coexisted in 16th-century Spain, in particular the relationship between the incipient Society of Jesus and the "alumbrado" groups, a religious movement that sought a direct experience of God.
Main Topics
- Biblical exegesis and rhetorical amplification of the Lamentations of Jeremiah.
- Early Jesuit spirituality in the 16th century.
- Relations between the Society of Jesus and the "alumbrado" groups of Valladolid.
- Textual transmission and criticism of Renaissance manuscript sources.
- Sacred rhetoric and preaching in Counter-Reformation Spain.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at researchers and students of Church history, theology, the spirituality of the Spanish Golden Age, and Renaissance religious literature. It will also be of great interest to philologists and specialists in textual criticism interested in the transmission of Jesuit manuscripts. Likewise, it is a relevant work for historians of the Society of Jesus and for those who study heterodox spiritual movements in 16th-century Spain.
What this book contributes
- Access to a rigorous critical edition of an unpublished text by Saint Francis Borgia.
- Understanding of the complex spiritual networks that connected the first Jesuits with the "alumbrados."
- An exceptional case study on the practice of rhetorical amplification in 16th-century preaching.
- A contribution to the history of spirituality and devotional literature in Renaissance Spain.
Technical Data
- Author: de Borja, San Francisco
- Publisher: Universidad de Huelva
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Literature: history and criticism, literary studies: c. 1500-c. 1800
- Collection: Bibliotheca Montaniana
- Binding: Other
- Date of edition: Not available
- Number of pages: 290
- Weight: 717 g
Editorial Assessment
This critical edition represents a valuable contribution to studies on 16th-century Jesuit spirituality and sacred rhetoric. Its main interest lies in the reconstruction of a complex text and in the analysis of Saint Francis Borgia's connections with the "alumbrados," an underexplored aspect. It is a specialized work that will undoubtedly become a reference for researchers of the period.