Well, accidia, as it is called here, was more seen as a deadly sin as it
does not bring to "ora et labora" - the one "invented" by Saint Benedict
monks, for which a religious person should be active and not just live in
contemplation. I googled and I found websites by priests discussing this as
well , in modern terms, but they are written in Italian, so not easy for
everybody out there... Melancholy as it was seen in the Renaissance, to us
is different from accidia. I talked again to the person I mentioned in my
previous message and he agrees to that.
Donatella
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Arndt" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>; "LuteNet list" <[email protected]>; "Ed
Durbrow" <[email protected]>; "Donatella Galletti" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:16 AM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Renaissance Metaphors
Insofar as it "is seen as denial of the saving power of Christ," it seems to
me that the reference is more properly to despair. You might want to read
what Thomas Aquinas wrote on the matter in ST I-II,q. 20, which you can find
in a mediocre translation here:
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3020.htm#article1
He notes, however, in the fourth article that despair can arise from acedia
or sloth.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
Sent: Dec 9, 2009 5:59 PM
To: LuteNet list <[email protected]>, Ed Durbrow
<[email protected]>, Donatella Galletti <[email protected]>
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Renaissance Metaphors
Donatella,
It was called "Acedia" and was one of the seven deadly sins. Its
usually translated as "Sloth" in English, but denotes a spiritual as well
as physical listlessness.
Chris
--- On Wed, 12/9/09, Donatella Galletti <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Donatella Galletti <[email protected]>
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Renaissance Metaphors
To: "LuteNet list" <[email protected]>, "Ed Durbrow"
<[email protected]>, [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 4:26 PM
> Another take on the matter: In
the eyes of Catholicism, being depressed was a serious sin
because it was seen as a denial of the saving power of
Christ.
I talked to someone very much into Catholicism and the
history of it and he has never heard of such a thing.
Me too. It would be interesting to know the source, is there
anyone who wrote such things in Italy at the time?
Donatella
----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]>
To: "LuteNet list" <[email protected]>;
"Ed Durbrow" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 1:50 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Renaissance Metaphors
Ed,
--- On Tue, 12/8/09, Ed Durbrow <[email protected]>
wrote:
> No
> one is mentioned as having
> caused the distress. Kind of like some
> blues in a way.
>
Yes, blues is a great analog. I suppose much of it is
melancholy of the "hurts so good" variety. Acting
suitably bummed has been de rigueur among many in the
artistic set for ages it seems.
Another take on the matter: In the eyes of Catholicism,
being depressed was a serious sin because it was seen as a
denial of the saving power of Christ. (Think of Durer's
"Melencolia" engraving.) I'm not sure about
Elizabethan mores, but assume that the Church of England
would have retained a similar view on the matter. For
one to publicly admit that you were down would therefore be
naughty and rebellious and therefore entirely
tempting. Just like dying.
Chris
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
