The purpose of this thesis will be a contrast of the Buddhist and the Christian responses to this-worldly suffering. Many scholars have proposed that the best way to create a better world with less suffering is to make Christianity more like Buddhism, so that an interfaith synthesis between the two religions results. These scholars’ proposals are described in Chapter 2. However, what these scholars desire (i.e. less this-worldly suffering) will not logically result from the solution they suggest (i.e. Buddhicizing Christianity). For to make Christianity more like Buddhism in its essentials would render Christianity less potent to oppose this-worldly suffering. The thesis will thus contrast Buddhism with Christianity in five crucial areas, namely, their viewpoints on ultimate reality, ultimate attachments, ultimate aversions, ultimate example, and ultimate purpose. These five areas provide the content to accurately define Buddhist compassion and Christian love. Chapter 3 describes Buddhism’s struggle to ground love of neighbor ontologically, whether by the ontological givens of dependent co-arising or nirvana. Buddhism struggles to ground not only whether we should love our neighbors, but also whether we can do so. Christianity, on the other hand, proves entirely capable of grounding love of neighbor—whether should or can—given its theistic ontology. Chapter 4 describes the Buddhist and Christian responses to suffering when it comes to attachments. Buddhism asks us to let go of rigid attachments to persons, truth and goodness. Meanwhile, Christians are to cling to God, and as a result of loving God, they are to love people, hunger and thirst for the good, and rejoice in the truth. These ultimate attachments to persons, truth, and goodness help overcome this-worldly suffering. According to Chapter 5, Buddhism and Christianity differ sharply when it comes to aversion to and grief over sin. Buddhists cultivate equanimity toward the sin, reasoning that the problem is not actually the person’s fault and, furthermore, that the problem is not really a problem. Christians, however, are to love people enough that they hate the sin which destroys them. In hating evil and restoring people, Christianity undermines immense worldly suffering. Chapter 6 contrasts Gautama and Jesus as examples of combatting suffering. At each juncture, Jesus offered more to actually fight against suffering than did Gautama. Incredibly, the interfaith scholar who would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate example would mar the portrait of the paradigm who exemplifies the very qualities the interfaith scholar wants to emulate. Chapter 7 examines the Buddhist emphasis on “thusness” and the Christian emphasis on purposefulness. Insofar as the interfaith scholar would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate purpose, the robust purposefulness that gives one’s life meaning and motivation would erode into a purposelessness which, however emancipating, leaves one comparatively impotent in the face of this-worldly suffering. In light of these five contrasts, Christian love and Buddhist compassion are able to be defined and contrasted. The logical conclusion drawn is that to Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimacy would be to truncate Christianity’s efficacy, a result which should motivate these interfaith scholars to reconsider their proposals. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this thesis will be a contrast of the Buddhist and the Christian responses to this-worldly suffering. Many scholars have proposed that the best way to create a better world with less suffering is to make Christianity more like Buddhism, so that an interfaith synthesis between the two religions results. These scholars’ proposals are described in Chapter 2. However, what these scholars desire (i.e. less this-worldly suffering) will not logically result from the solution they suggest (i.e. Buddhicizing Christianity). For to make Christianity more like Buddhism in its essentials would render Christianity less potent to oppose this-worldly suffering. The thesis will thus contrast Buddhism with Christianity in five crucial areas, namely, their viewpoints on ultimate reality, ultimate attachments, ultimate aversions, ultimate example, and ultimate purpose. These five areas provide the content to accurately define Buddhist compassion and Christian love. Chapter 3 describes Buddhism’s struggle to ground love of neighbor ontologically, whether by the ontological givens of dependent co-arising or nirvana. Buddhism struggles to ground not only whether we should love our neighbors, but also whether we can do so. Christianity, on the other hand, proves entirely capable of grounding love of neighbor—whether should or can—given its theistic ontology. Chapter 4 describes the Buddhist and Christian responses to suffering when it comes to attachments. Buddhism asks us to let go of rigid attachments to persons, truth and goodness. Meanwhile, Christians are to cling to God, and as a result of loving God, they are to love people, hunger and thirst for the good, and rejoice in the truth. These ultimate attachments to persons, truth, and goodness help overcome this-worldly suffering. According to Chapter 5, Buddhism and Christianity differ sharply when it comes to aversion to and grief over sin. Buddhists cultivate equanimity toward the sin, reasoning that the problem is not actually the person’s fault and, furthermore, that the problem is not really a problem. Christians, however, are to love people enough that they hate the sin which destroys them. In hating evil and restoring people, Christianity undermines immense worldly suffering. Chapter 6 contrasts Gautama and Jesus as examples of combatting suffering. At each juncture, Jesus offered more to actually fight against suffering than did Gautama. Incredibly, the interfaith scholar who would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate example would mar the portrait of the paradigm who exemplifies the very qualities the interfaith scholar wants to emulate. Chapter 7 examines the Buddhist emphasis on “thusness” and the Christian emphasis on purposefulness. Insofar as the interfaith scholar would Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimate purpose, the robust purposefulness that gives one’s life meaning and motivation would erode into a purposelessness which, however emancipating, leaves one comparatively impotent in the face of this-worldly suffering. In light of these five contrasts, Christian love and Buddhist compassion are able to be defined and contrasted. The logical conclusion drawn is that to Buddhicize Christianity’s ultimacy would be to truncate Christianity’s efficacy, a result which should motivate these interfaith scholars to reconsider their proposals. / PhD, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:25:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FlavioADC_DISSERT.pdf: 1116353 bytes, checksum: 035b6cc625333bf5dd86e4b6e0dbc2d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-15 / The aim of this study is to understand the version of St. Francis of Assisi created by Friar Thomas of Celano in his hagiographic works. That study also it examines how the Order of Friars Minor and the Papacy have understood the relationship between Christians and the world and turned thisunderstanding in a version of the Saint. Factors such as the replacement of Neoplatonism byAristotelianism as philosophical paradigm and economic and social changes have contributed to change the interpretation of the biblical mandate to not love the world , no longer interpreted as materiality, but as an order for Christians to flee sin. The rejection of the world was replaced by a greater appreciation of nature and society. Moreover, increasingly, the body went from enemy to friend, becoming the brotherbody. Such analysis is important to review the idea, so common in the historiography of what MaxWeber called Worldly Asceticism, the Christian life lived in society, only emerged in Protestantism in opposition to monasticism. The mendicant orders, especially the minority tried during the thirteenth century, the period of analysis of this work, experience the loving nature of Christianity and acting,through preaching and charity in the cities.To make this work, were analyzed the hagiographic discourse (on San Francisco) made by Thomas of Celano, Vita beati Francisci (called Vita Prima) and Memorial in desideiro anime (named Vita Secunda) and, from this, understand the Celano?s interpretation on how it should be the Christian's relationship with the world. The world ceased to be adistorted reflection of a perfect reality, becoming the perfect reflection of God's goodness. / O objetivo desse trabalho ? entender a vers?o de S?o Francisco de Assis criada por Frei Tom?s de Celano em suas obras hagiogr?ficas, para, a partir disso, analisar como a Ordem dos Frades Menores e o Papado compreenderam a rela??o do crist?o com o mundo e transformaram essa compreens?o em uma vers?o do Santo. Fatores como a substitui??o do Neoplatonismo pelo Aristotelismo como paradigma filos?fico e altera??es econ?micas e sociais contribu?ram para alterar a interpreta??o das ordens b?blicas para n?o amar o mundo , n?o mais interpretadas como materialidade, e sim como uma ordem para o crist?o fugir do pecado. O desprezo pelo mundo foi substitu?do por um maior apre?o pela natureza e pela sociedade. Al?m disso, cada vez mais, o corpo passou de inimigo a amigo, tornado-se o irm?o corpo. Tal an?lise ? importante para rever a id?ia, t?o comum na historiografia, de que o que Max Weber chamou de Ascese Intramundana, a vida crist? vivida em sociedade, s? surgiu no Protestantismo, em oposi??o ao Monasticismo. As Ordens Mendicantes, sobretudo o Minoritismo, tentaram, durante o s?culo XIII, per?odo de an?lise desse trabalho, vivenciar o Cristianismo amando a natureza e agindo, por meio da prega??o e da caridade, nas cidades. Para fazer esse trabalho, foram analisados os discursos hagiogr?ficos (sobre S?o Francisco) feitos por Tom?s de Celano, Vita beati Francisci (chamada de Vita Prima) e Memoriale in desiderio anime (chamada de Vita Secunda) para, a partir disso, entender a interpreta??o de Celano de como deve ser a rela??o do crist?o com o mundo. O mundo deixou de ser um reflexo distorcido de uma realidade perfeita, passando a ser reflexo perfeito da bondade de Deus.

清代文學，在小說方面，最著名的是被列入中國四大小說之一的《紅樓夢》，這部偉大的作品是內務府包衣人滿洲正白旗的曹雪芹所作，書中詳細記載了滿洲貴族的生活，情節生動，文字雋永，是中國古典小說的代表，也是世界文學寶庫的不朽傑作。《紅樓夢》是中國文學史上一部曠世巨作，也是世界文學史上的奇蹟，自從十八世紀中葉面世以來，它便立即轟動全國，二百多年來，它的魅力經久不衰。對於《紅樓夢》的研究，目前已成為國際漢學界的顯學——「紅學」。它的內容，可以說是當時社會生活的一面鏡子，它不僅反映了當時社會生活的真實情況，更照透了人的心靈。它是我國古典小說的最高峰，具有深刻的思想和高度的美學價值。 子弟書是以北京地區為中心的滿族說唱曲藝，它誕生於乾隆年間，因首創於以滿族為主體的八旗子弟，故稱為「子弟書」，它是珍貴的滿族文化遺產。在清代，子弟書十分受人喜愛，滿族人士對它更是推崇，並尊稱它為「大道」。在我國俗文學史上，文學價值高、藝術成就大、影響最深遠的曲藝，大概是子弟書了。子弟書作者大多具有高度的文化素養，他們熟讀唐詩宋詞、元明戲曲，所以知識豐富，無論敘事、抒情、寫景、狀物，皆能鋪張揚厲而又得心應手。 《紅樓夢》子弟書即是根據《紅樓夢》小說故事所改編的一種滿族說唱曲藝，正因為《紅樓夢》具有高度的文化水平，故《紅樓夢》子弟書在現存五百多種子弟書中，它的文學價值、藝術成就也是最高的。現存《紅樓夢》子弟書總數有三十二種之多，在清代的藝壇上，它更為其他曲藝內容提供了珍貴的題材。由此可知，《紅樓夢》的故事之所以能家喻戶曉，而且在我國流傳的範圍極廣，《紅樓夢》子弟書的貢獻頗大。今略述如下： 第一，在《紅樓夢》子弟書的故事類別方面：大體說來，《紅樓夢》子弟書的思想內容仍以雙玉故事為最多，其次為劉姥姥故事，再次為晴雯故事。在雙玉故事方面，子弟書作家認為他們身上體現了追求個性解放，維護人性的尊嚴，希望擺脫封建束縛的進步思想。在劉姥姥故事方面，由於情節不僅具有詼諧幽默的效果，而且越是寫劉姥姥的純樸，越是反襯出榮國府主子們的物質享受已達到令人吃驚的地步，具有「微塵之中看大千」的作用，使得劉姥姥故事產生了強大的現實主義力量。在晴雯故事方面，晴雯心直口快，聰明伶俐，其生命最後被污濁黑暗的社會所吞噬，她的遭遇具有豐富社會內容和深刻悲劇因素。因此，他們的故事都深受各種戲曲、曲藝所歡迎，子弟書也不例外。 第二，在《紅樓夢》子弟書與《紅樓夢》小說的比較方面：子弟書與小說 ，兩者雖然是敷演同樣的故事，但是，《紅樓夢》子弟書絕不是《紅樓夢》小說的複述或翻譯。兩者有極大的差異：子弟書是屬於「驚四起」的說唱曲藝，小說則是屬於「適獨坐」的書面文學。《紅樓夢》小說大多側重於敘述故事，在簡練的敘述中往往留下「敘述空白」，給讀者以想像的空間，引人深思。小說的人物形象刻畫栩栩如生，子弟書作家在這個基礎上發揮，常常利用內心獨白的設計及故事情節的增益，使得人物的形象更細膩。他們不僅在單純的故事中，藉由季節的循環與場景的襯托等筆法，凸顯出敘事詩的藝術美，使得景物的描寫更精緻，而且，由於《紅樓夢》子弟書是根據小說所改編的短篇韻文，基於敘事詩的性質，它的抒情意味更濃厚。 第三，在《紅樓夢》子弟書與《紅樓夢》戲曲的比較方面：子弟書與戲曲 皆是藉由表演方式，成功地詮釋這個膾炙人口的《紅樓夢》小說，讓廣大的民眾了解這感人的故事。但戲曲是由介、白、曲聯織成劇，透過排場、曲文、賓白、科諢來表演情節，從而在舞蹈、音樂與詩歌中征服觀眾；而說唱曲藝之一的子弟書則是由詞曲組成，從文學上劃分是屬於敘事詩，它往往用大段的詩話唱詞來渲染故事，從而在婉轉悠揚的詞曲中征服聽眾。子弟書與戲曲，雖然同是敷演小說的故事，但基於藝術表現的不同，子弟書顯然比戲曲更容易、更適合改編。此外，在表現技巧方面，子弟書比戲曲不僅更富有詩意美感，更具有想像空間，而且，表演更為抽象化。又子弟書的表演場地形式簡易，通常是在書會或堂會中，作家們可以一面品著清茶，一面品評文本風格與演唱水平，交流心得。又子弟書的伴奏樂器更簡單，它採用的是三絃，雖然只有三根琴絃，卻可以通過演奏者彈、挑、搓、輪、吟、揉等指法變幻出豐富的音樂形式，它可以根據演唱者的快慢、高低進行靈活的調節。它的板眼節奏是一板三眼，總體上音調沉婉。又它的表演形式以唱為主，演員在演唱時，只有將那些表達人物心理情感的曲文用情唱出，才會扣人心弦。因此，子弟書的影響力更大。 第四，在《紅樓夢》子弟書的藝術成就方面：《紅樓夢》子弟書的體製結 構短小精緻，相當完整。最特別之處，即是每篇或每回的開端，大多有一首七言詩，大多為八句，稱之為「詩篇」，是用來敘述作者的感悟緣由，寫作的動機，對人物的評論或總括內容的大意。在正文部分，句型也以七言詩為主體，大多加襯字，每句的字數不一，最多可達二十多字。此外，在正文結尾處有所謂的「結語」，大多為兩句，也有四句，這些具有感嘆意味的詞句，往往反映出作家們創作的旨歸，主觀的態度，對人物的評論或總結內容。子弟書作者對自己時代的主流極為敏銳，對於小說內在精神的把握非常準確，從大多數《紅樓夢》子弟書中情節與人物形象的演變，可看出子弟書作者挖掘新意，再度創作的高明手法。《紅樓夢》子弟書在語言風格、修辭技巧以及形象塑造等方面的敘事構思，非常地生動傳神。此外，巧妙的文采、悠揚的韻調、明快的節奏以及端莊的表演等，更顯示出《紅樓夢》子弟書詞婉音清，雅而不俗的特色。 第五，在《紅樓夢》子弟書的影響方面：《紅樓夢》子弟書的故事結構、 人物形象、表現技巧、思想內容等方面均有突破性的創作意義，加上它詞婉韻雅，文學價值高，藝術成就亦大，因此流傳廣遠，甚至影響當時及後來許多地方戲曲與曲藝的發展。京韻大鼓就往往沿襲子弟書的原本或以子弟書為改編的題材，而子弟書也促進了京韻大鼓傳統唱詞體製的確立。所以，子弟書和京韻大鼓兩者關係密切。又子弟書是曲藝的一種，它是語言與音樂的結合，在語言方面，雖然子弟書與戲曲一樣講究依字行腔，但對於語言的重視程度要比戲曲更加明顯；在音樂方面，雖然子弟書的主要曲調早已失傳，但它仍借助京韻大鼓、梅花大鼓以及河南墜子等曲藝流傳至今。因此，子弟書促使了其他說唱文學着重韻雅音清的風格，也提昇了其他曲藝的文學價值與藝術成就。此外，《紅樓夢》子弟書重視語言接近原著的風格，發揮了原作的精髓，重鑄了原作的新意，因此，它能成為未來說唱曲藝改編文學之借鏡。 第六，在《紅樓夢》子弟書的文學價值方面：《紅樓夢》子弟書的內容以 寫「情」為主，它的藝術特質原是為了吟唱而寫的短篇敘事詩，它的真實價值，本來不在它的音樂曲調，而是在它的高超純熟的文學技巧上。它不僅增強了表現的範圍，提高了詩意的美感，而且樹立了獨特的藝術風格。子弟書作者大多是八旗子弟，由於他們獨特的生活圈和文化圈為他們提供了一個認識生活的新視角，從而結合自己的現實感受，將《紅樓夢》小說詩化，並本著舊曲翻新，再度創造的精神，賦予子弟書新的生命。因此，從《紅樓夢》子弟書中，可以反映八旗子弟生活的現象。《紅樓夢》子弟書有絢麗多姿的文采，也有淺易通俗的詞句，它更是融合抒情與敘事手法的敘事詩，它的語言具有故事性、口語化與音樂性等特色，不僅提高了說唱藝術的水平，而且可稱為敘事詩的上品。又子弟書是由皇城文化、士人文化和市民文化所組成的京味文化的統一體，它要求演唱者應當掌握四聲、陰陽、收聲、歸韻以及曲情等方法，才能達到「眾心同悅，眾口同音」的藝術境界。因此，研究《紅樓夢》子弟書可以促進中國京味文化的瞭解、豐富中國旅遊文化的內涵以及擴大紅學民間通俗文學的研究。 總的來說，說唱藝術對於文學創作影響極大，尤其《紅樓夢》子弟書對於北京地區的民俗學、語言學、文學創作和旅遊文化等，皆具有重要的意義。雖然，隨著時代的發展和社會生活的變革，人們對於子弟書逐漸淡忘，但是，子弟書就好像敦煌壁畫以及秦陵兵馬俑等珍貴的文物一樣，將作為中華民族燦爛文化的見證而保存下來，它的藝術審美價值將具有永久的魅力。 《紅樓夢》這部百科全書式的書，需要許多人從各個不同的方面，不同的角度作深入的研究，才能把研究推向深入。而《紅樓夢》子弟書，提出了不少新的研究方向與成果，從而在一定程度上增加了歷年來紅學界研究的生氣和活力。《紅樓夢》子弟書的研究是有特色的研究，它不僅為紅學界提供一份豐碩成果，而且在古典文學上，也能起到剛健清新的作用。不論從哪一角度來說，都將是對當前紅學的一種促進，一種新的極有意義的貢獻。《紅樓夢》子弟書是優秀的說唱曲藝，是前人留下來的一份寶貴的遺產，它不僅忠實地反映了清代的社會生活、歷史特徵和民俗特色，而且它不少曲目有著極高的藝術價值。因此，它有助於弘揚中華民族的優秀文化，對未來說唱曲藝的振興具有極大的促進作用，值得大家深入研究。

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African Religion offers new images and symbols of reconciliation that may enhance existing Christian reconciliation metaphors and liturgies. Traditionally, Christians understood reconciliation through the images of either Augustine’s victory model, Anselm’s objective model or Abelard’s subjective model. While these images offered valuable insights, they are limited and increasingly difficult to understand in our modern context. Postmodern philosophy presents theologians with the possibility of deconstructing dominant discourses in order to consider new possibilities. This approach is eminently applicable to the traditional Christian reconciliation models. A comparative study of Western Christian and African reconciliation myths, rituals and concepts is used to deconstruct the accepted positions on the matter of reconciliation. Interviews with four African theologians, John Mbiti, Agrippa Khathide, Daniel Ngubane and Tinyiko Maluleke, reveal that African Christians have often understood reconciliation in more and different ways than those available in traditional Christian thought. They often derived their ideas from African Traditional Religion as well as the modern liberation struggle. In studying African Traditional Religion, it becomes clear that that African religion offers very different options to traditional Christianity with regard to its view on God, ancestors and spirits, life force, and of special importance for this study, shame, guilt and sin. African religion’s this-worldly focus views reconciliation as taking place on a mostly human level rather than between humans and God. African reconciliation rituals can be classified according to the purpose or the myths behind them. Some rituals are intended to create or restore community, while others are meant to propitiate or at least transfer guilt. A third grouping of rituals have the purpose of either expelling or accepting (and thus in a certain sense neutralising) evil (or perceived evil) in the community. Other rituals have a number of intentions, and can use unlikely rituals like open rebellion or dance to bring about reconciliation. A comparison between two religions should treat the religions equally. An investigation that examines both the integrating and transcending possibilities of religions can highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various reconciliation models without reference to some sort of supernatural reality. The anthropological and social sciences also offer valuable insights into the possible structure of reconciliation. And the South African context demands some minimum requirements for reconciliation in this country. When all these criteria are used to evaluate African and Christian reconciliation models, new possibilities emerge. Different models show themselves to be useful in different contexts. Some African models can improve our understanding of reconciliation between humans and God, while others fit the social context of South Africa. It seems that African thought and religion has a lot to offer to the study of reconciliation. The African emphasis on this-worldliness and community, the use of rituals and symbols, as well as Africa’s still-coherent myths presents new and exciting perspectives. These insights and models can be incorporated into Christian liturgies and rituals that will deepen Christians’ understanding and celebration of reconciliation. / Thesis (DD (Science of Religion and Missiology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to present the different approaches, which Hegel and Marx have developed regarding the relation between consciousness and life, consistent with their aims. Hegel&rsquo / s aim is to combine all the opposed ideas and beliefs proposed throughout the history of philosophy into a unified whole. Hegel&rsquo / s dialectics which is immanent to life can also explain the opposition between consciousness and life. Self-consciousness, which appears as subjectivity in Hegel&rsquo / s philosophy, at first, treats the life as an object of desire. Later, however, self-consciousness which cannot thus realize itself desires another self-consciousness who will recognize itself, so it relates with an other self-consciousness. This relation is defined as a &ldquo / life and death struggle&rdquo / . At the end of the struggle, there arise new forms of self-consciousnesses, Master and Slave. While the Slave produces for its Master, it relates itself to Life and this relation between Slave and Life brings about Slave as self-consciousness. On the other hand, the aim of Marx is not only to combine the oppositions but also to create a worldly philosophy. To this end, Marx puts economic relations of human beings at the centre of his theory. According to Marx, relations of production condition classes. While one class produces, the other exploits the productions of the former class. In Hegel, the Slave obtains its certainty as self-consciousness while it produces, whereas in Marx, the worker, who produces, is alienated form him/herself in the capitalist mode of production. To sum up, both Hegel and Marx emphasize the mutual relation between consciousness and life, but their divergent aims lead to them constructing this relation with different concepts on different foundations.

<p>This thesis is a contribution to the scholarly debate on how African Independent Churches (AICs) relate to outside partners. It is a case study from the perspective of the periphery of Ethiopia, which explains the origins of the Mekane Yesus Church in Kambata Hadiya</p><p>The diachronic structure of the study with a focus from 1944 to 1975 highlights how a group of Christians reacted to cultural pressure and formed a local independent church, the Kambata Evangelical Church 2 (KEC-2). The KEC-2 established relations with external partners, like a neighbouring mainstream conference of churches, a neighbouring mainstream church, an international organisation, and a mainstream overseas church and its mission. These relations influenced the KEC-2 to develop into a synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY). The diachronic approach is augmented by synchronic structural analyses, illustrating how aspects in the independent KEC-2, like polity, worship, doctrine and ethos were changing.</p><p>The study contends that "Ethiopian Evangelical Solidarity" was a crucial factor in the development of the independent KEC-2 into a synod of the EECMY. As this factor helped the Ethiopians to transcend barriers of ethnicity, social status and denominationalism, it is not unreasonable to assume that the study has relevance for a wider African context.</p><p>This thesis builds on material taken mainly from unpublished printed sources in various languages from archives in Ethiopia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. These are supplemented by interviews made by the author.</p>

La tesis que presentamos se centra en la importancia que la ilustración como categoría semiótico-discursiva establece en las colecciones literarias de novela corta, que triunfan en España en los años iniciales del siglo XX. En los cinco primeros capítulos, se plantean aspectos significativos del mundo de la imagen ilustrada: una aproximación al decurso histórico de la ilustración, a su consideración como medio de comunicación de masas, y a su relación con las disciplinas artísticas clásicas como pintura y la literatura. También se realiza un análisis generalizado del ámbito y el mercado en que tiene lugar el auge de las colecciones de novela corta en sus diferentes variantes. El capítulo VI se dedica a un estudio semiótico centrado en las consideradas siete grandes colecciones de novela corta: El Cuento Semanal, Los Contemporáneos, La Novela Corta, El Libro Popular, La Novela Semanal, La Novela de Hoy y La Novela Mundial. / The thesis that we defend is focused on the importance of the illustration, considered as a semiotic-discursive category, within the literary collections of short novel, those who had triumphed in Spain at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the first five chapters, we propose some significant aspects regarding the world of the illustrated image: an approach to the historic course of illustration, to its consideration as one form of mass media, and to its connection with the classic artistic disciplines such as painting and literature. Moreover, we carry out a general analysis of the cultural realm and market in which the different varieties of short novel collections reach their peak. Chapter VI is devoted to a semiotic study that is focused on the seven greatest short novel collections: The Weekly Tale, The Contemporaries, The Short Novel, The Popular Story Book, The Weekly Novel, Today's Novel and The Worldly Novel.