O vício capital da inveja na visão de Ramon Llull

Resumo: Exposição do pensamento de Ramon Llull acerca do vício capital da inveja, inserida na cultura e na espiritualidade da Idade Média, destacando, de um lado, sua conformidade com a doutrina espiritual e teológica acerca do assunto, e de outro lado sua extrema originalidade na aplicação prática dessa doutrina.Palavras-chave: inveja, vício capital, espiritualidade medieval, literatura catalã, Ramon Llull.Abstract: Exposition of Ramon Llull’s thought about the capital vice of envy, inserted in the culture and spirituality of the Middle Ages, highlighting its conformity with the spiritual and theological doctrine on the subject, and at the same time his extreme originality in the application practice of that doctrine.Keywords: envy, capital vice, medieval spirituality, catalan literature, Ramon Llull

L’espiritualitat de sant Vicent Ferrer en el context de la seua època

Resum: L’objectiu de l’article és situar l’espiritualitat de sant Vicent Ferrer en el context crític de la seua época, i mostrar com eaquell context condiciona la major part de les característiques de la seua espiritualitat, que té en la predicació de l’Evangeli el seu tret més característic i que aglutina tota la seua vida i la seua doctrina.Paraules clau: espiritualitat tardomedieval, sant Vicent Ferrer, context històric.Abstract: The aim of this article is to analyze the spirituality of Saint Vicent Ferrer within the crisis context of his time, and to show how this context influenced most properties of his spirituality; particulary, as his most relevant characteristic, his evangelic preaching, which summarizes his life and doctrine.Keywords: late medieval spirituality, saint Vincent Ferrer, historical context.

"Who were "Guests" in the Bosnian Church?" -The meaning of the mysterious title "Guest" reserved for the higher members of the church's hierarchy-

The main aim of the Bosnian Church's research has largely relied on attempts to devise mysterious titles within its church hierarchy. All past attempts to link the title of "guest" to dualistic churches in the West and East, or to the Catholic and Orthodox Church have failed and have no reliance on sources. It is certain that this is an original title inherent in Bosnian medieval spirituality, which probably would have to rely on early Christian practice of hospitality. This hypothesis was also suggested by some earlier researchers pointing to the equivalence of the term "stranger" and "guest" in the sources, also prominent in Old and New Testament abound with the many uses of these terms. Knowing that God in the Bible reveals Him through the incarnating Christ in a role of stranger or a guest in the homes of people, it is appropriate to assume that the concept of "hospitality", "home" (hiža) and "hospitium" (gostinjac) is of crucial importance within Bosnian Church's Christian mysticism. In accordance with the etymology of the title "guests" it is reasonable to assume that their ecclesial activity was closely related to the missionary activities of preaching and spreading the Word on one very high level which required the community to have a great respect for them. It is known that Christ identified with the guests, that the service to the guest was equalized with the service of Christ Himself, that the reward for hospitality to the guest was eternal life and that the inhospitality toward the guest meant the eternal punishment. The spiritual activity of the guests had to have an emphasis on the theology of affirmation so characteristic for Christian mysticism. Precious information in this regard provides motives and messages on the stećak tombstones of "guests", where their ranks of service and honor are shown in the picture and in words.

Alchemical symbols on Stećak tombstones and their meaning

In order to truly be able to understand the phenomenology of Stećak tombstones in its total complexity, the Stećak primarily needs to be viewed through philosophy (Neoplatonism), theology (Cataphatic and Apophatic theology) and through the practice of theurgy and alchemy (work on stone and metal). It is very difficult to understand the symbols on Stećak tombstones without the essential knowledge of the basic principles and philosophy of Neoplatonism and Hermeticism, so even the most dedicated researchers of Bosnian Middle Ages observed Stečak symbols only as a decorative motifs denying the tombstones' enormous amount of "philosophical and spiritual content" that greatly can help in the study of the religious character of the Bosnian Church in the Middle Ages. To understand the meaning of many symbols of alchemy and theurgy on Stećak tombstones, a researcher of Bosnian medieval spirituality has to relate himself with one world in which mystery and spirituality are central. For example alchemical imagination constantly reminds us that opposing forces in nature have to unite thus forming a special relationships in a way that through their unification the mysterious "third" occurs (Alchemical "Egg","Philosopher's Stone", "Tree of Life") that transcends an ordinary existence.

Lectio divina, meditatio, imitatio as Basic Categories of Medieval Spirituality

Mysticism is one of the most vague concepts in religious studies. In what follows I propose to boil down mysticism to spirituality and provide an analysis of lectio divina (a spiritual practice which originated in the Middle Ages and still exists). I will also show how we can understand spirituality and how people can produce ‘spiritual knowledge’.

Cultures of Devotion

Cultures of devotion in multiple forms were central to medieval lives, and because of their significance they became sites for defining and negotiating gender identities and issues. The essay first examines whether participation in communal rituals and popular devotion was open to women as well as to men. A second issue was the availability of membership for women in the religious orders, and a third was the relationship between male religious authorities and the women who sought a life of holiness, whether in or out of traditional communities. Other topics involve the gendered role of visual images and material objects in stimulating mystical experiences, and the role of devotional texts explicitly addressed to women. Finally, the essay takes up the destabilizing of gender identities in the language of medieval spirituality. In all cases, new paradigms and scholarship of the last forty years have challenged previous assertions about religious culture.