The eye-opening article I’ve linked below was brought to my attention by Steve Hays. The article provides some truly astonishing details of, in particular, the Spanish fascination with the cult of the dead during the reign of Philip II (king from January 16, 1556 – September 13, 1598).(link to article)
March 18, 2010 at 1:51 am
“Neither are the souls of the pious dead separated from the Church which even now is the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise there would be no remembrance of them at the altar of God in the communication of the Body of Christ.” – Augustine
March 18, 2010 at 11:22 am
It is one thing to remember the dead, and it is quite another to engage in a full-blown cult of the dead.Even if we will say that Augustine's remembrances of the dead went too far (and perhaps it did), comparing Augustine with Philip II would be like comparing someone with a common cold to someone who had been bitten by a zombie.
March 18, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Zombie bites are naaaasty!
March 18, 2010 at 6:42 pm
I think Philip II would offer an interesting perspective re: The Tell-Tale Heart.