José María SALVADOR GONZÁLEZ

Original title: La iconografía de La Asunción de la Virgen María en la pintura del Quattrocento italiano a la luz de sus fuentes patrísticas y teológicas

Published in Paradise, Purgatory and Hell: the Religiosity in the Middle Ages

Keywords: Assomption, Iconography, Medieval Art, Patrology, Quattrocento.

The iconographic subject of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary to the heaven is based on a certain oral tradition and on some apocryphal writings, as well on a lot of homilies and interpretations of several Church Fathers and Doctors, such as John of Thessalonica, Saint John of Damascus and Saint Andrew of Crete, and a great number of other medieval theologians. All those literary sources, apocryphal and canonical, constitute the conceptual basis on which the Church has based the liturgical feasts and the iconography of the Death and the Assumption of the Mother of God. The iconography of the Mary’s Death, widely expressed in the Byzantine art since the 11th century, will begin to acquire some relevance in Europe since the 12th century, associating the Virgin’s triumph to the one of Jesus Christ in three characteristic subjects: the Death, the Assumption and the Coronation of Mary. Through the analysis of nine Italian paintings of the Quattrocento, our paper aims to show that such patristic and theological sources constitute the conceptual “model” that inspires in a direct and essential way the medieval iconography of Mary’s Assumption.

Francesc GRANELL SALES, Andrea MARTÍNEZ CARRILLO

Original title: La imatge de la monarquia medieval cristiana en l’Educació Secundària Obligatòria

Published in

Keywords: Historical Thinking, Medieval Age, Medieval monarchy, Royal image, Secondary Education, Text books.

Specialists in the Teaching of History unanimously accept that textbooks are the only –or the main– material used by teachers in Spain. Thus, this article analyzes the artistic images of the medieval Christian monarchy included in three school textbooks –one published by a major publisher and two by educational innovation groups – to confirm their use as a teaching resource. The results refer to didactic methodology, specifically to the ability to historical thinking.

Cecilia Cintra CAVALEIRO DE MACEDO

Original title: A imagem do trono em Ibn Gabirol e a mística da Merkabah

Published in Mystic and Millenarianism in Middle Ages

Keywords: Angels - Shekinah, Ibn Gabirol - Throne of Glory, Merkabah.

The subject of the Throne is common to the three abrahamic monotheistic religions and it is an important presence in medieval thought. Specifically in Judaism it has a prominent place, since the first great trend in Jewish mysticism is characterized by the contemplation of the Merkabah (Charriot/Throne) images described from the vision of Prophet Ezekiel. At the same time, many medieval Jewish philosophers also mention the subject. Although the philosophical work of Ibn Gabirol is characterized by the absence of religious references, there is one single passage in the Fons vitae that seems to refer to the Throne. In this article we will try to improve the interpretation of this passage from the Fons vitae by verifying the presence of the Merkabah mystical images in Ibn Gabirol poetry in the light of the indications from the mystical literature and the Jewish imaginary.

Eirini ARTEMI

Published in Mirabilia Journal 

Keywords: Basil of Casarea, Christianity, Diseases, Medicine.

The medicine is a gift of God to people. Basil insisted that monks and many other people should use it in their daily life, because is quite useful for the flourishing of human life. He is well acquainted with the field of medicine, so that some of his references to medical problems or treatments are so close to today's descriptions of medical textbooks. In his commentary on the prophet Isaiah, he refers to definitions of surgery, bruise, wound. He underlines the medical problems of pregnancy and ophthalmological diseases. Did Basil consider medicine better than the grace of God? Can his teaching about the medicine persuade Christians of this era to trust doctors instead of miracles? Can his teaching and his general attitude to the pandemic diseases of the fourth century be an example for people and doctors to face the medical problems as they should be? Are there boarders between faith and medicine?