This dissertation investigates certain theological principles of the tradition established by St. Augustine which are reflected in a number of the works of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. These principles are gathered from the City of God, the Confessions and On Christian Doctrine by St. Augustine. / Chapter I examines the salient religious ideas of Cervantes utilizing data both from his life and from his works. Chapter II posits the various ways through which Cervantes would have become acquainted with the elements of the Augustinian tradition. In this chapter are also examined the Castilian translations of the De Civitate Dei, the Confessiones and the De Doctrina Christiana. Following the investigation of these translations is an examination of a work falsely attributed to St. Augustine, the Meditaciones y soliloquios y manual. The remaining section of this chapter studies the various religious and devotional works published by Augustinian and Franciscan monks in Spain during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries. The point is made that Cervantes would have read this type of literature not only because of its availability, but also because Cervantes mentions these books in the Prologue to the Quijote and within the narrative of the novel itself. / Chapter III commences an investigation of the first Augustinian principle which is that of the influence placed on faith over reason. In the dissertation, various examples of the manifestation of how faith is more important than reason are examined in certain works of Cervantes, such as the Quijote, the Persiles, the Novelas ejemplares, the captivity plays and the play El rufian dichoso. / Chapter IV investigates Christian dualism and how this principle applies to the works of Cervantes. Christian dualism is an important element of the religious tradition which can be traced back to St. Augustine himself in the above-cited works of Cervantes. / Chapter V studies the concepts of saving grace, free will, and original sin. These three important religious elements, common to the tradition established by St. Augustine, are most operative in the works of Cervantes. Certain works, such as the play El rufian dichoso, are totally animated by these religious principles. Chapter VI demonstrates the manner in which St. Augustine contrasted such Christian virtues as faith, hope, charity, humility, temperance, justice, fortitude and prudence, with such deadly vices as pride, sloth, intemperance, injustice, arrogance, amor uti (amor para usar) and amor frui (gozar). / All of the above theological elements are investigated and traced within the entirety of such Cervantine writings as Persiles, El coloquio de los perros, El curioso impertinente. Certain episodes of the Quijote involve or are motivated by one or more of the elements common to the Augustinian tradition. The Persiles is totally animated by the protagonists' emphasis on faith and love. In the Quijote, the knight advises his squire on the proper government of his "(')insula" using the four cardinal virtues. The animating force behind the play El rufian dichoso is the dualistic element of conversion and salvation. The conclusion is made that these precepts had a profound influence on Cervantes' religious thinking and world-view. This, in turn, is reflected in almost every work that Cervantes wrote. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1172. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74419 |
| Contributors | DISALVO, ANGELO J., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 242 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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