From the Effective Catechetical Preaching to the Pragmatic Exegesis of «lo isidril»: the Case of «Isidro» (1599), by Lope de Vega

Abstract

Was Lope de Vega an accomplished theologian who put his knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures at the service of his purposes as an author of sacred lyric, or was he rather a convinced believer who left aside the intellectual and dogmatic component of his faith, to rely on the affective and emotional side of doctrinal contents? This is the dilemma that this essay tries to resolve. In his hagiographic poem Isidro (1599), Lope does not preach from the pulpit but, instead, he filters the postulates of dogma through the «carretero» faith of rustic and humble Isidro. In Isidro, the Fénix presents a pragmatic exegesis of the «Isidro brand», as he aims at increasing his fame and prestige as a poet through the exponential growth of popular devotion to the patron of Madrid.