De novissimis in the Laudes e cantigas espirituais by Frei André Dias

Abstract

The present paper discusses the context of the eschatological reflection in the work Laudes y cantigas espirituais by Frei André Dias. The work of the bishop of Megara elaborates on the literary-doctrinal expression of the novissimis or last things (death, judgment, paradise, and hell). The doctrinal and religious context of his time is evident in his reflection on death and retribution, especially regarding the subjects of purgatory and final judgment. The aim is to understand their presence in the Laudes, which anticipates the theatricality that will emerge in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.