Don Quixote and Catholicism: Rereading Cervantine Spirituality by Michael McGrath

Abstract

Reviewed by: Don Quixote and Catholicism: Rereading Cervantine Spirituality by Michael McGrath Rosa María Stoops McGrath, Michael, Don Quixote and Catholicism: Rereading Cervantine Spirituality. Purdue UP, 2020. 189 pp. ISBN: 978-1-55753-899-4. This new study proposes an analysis of Don Quixote that concentrates on the role the practice of Catholicism may have played on the creation of Don Quixote and other important characters in Cervantes's works. The central idea of the text is to provide broad possibilities of interpretation through the Catholic lens to approach Cervantes [End Page 148] from a spiritual angle and to question one more time the idea of a universal Cervantes. Michael McGrath explains that the concept behind the title relates to the numerous studies related to Cervantes and their conclusions on his religious stance. McGrath proposes a return to the discussion of Cervantes's spirituality, looking carefully into the lines for "more of what appears on the page" (2), and recognizing that this type of reading will necessarily give place to numerous nuanced interpretations. The book is divided into six chapters, and the introduction provides philosophical and academic bibliography that has regularly led the conversation into the religious outlook of Cervantes's time and their potential influence on his works. The first chapter, "Miguel de Cervantes and Early Modern Catholicism," provides detailed information into Cervantes's background as a baptized Catholic and his work in the service of Cardinal Giulio Acquaviva. McGrath highlights the importance of Cervantes's sojourn in Rome and his exposure to Italian literature. Cervantes's education and military service to the Holy League, according to McGrath, exposed him to the influence of Christian Humanism and important works by Erasmus, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Augustine, and Teresa of Avila, among others, at formative years of his life. McGrath points out that Cervantes's captivity in Algiers, his refusal to convert to Islam, and the contact with other cultures and religions enlightened his spirituality and his attitude to multicultural societies and practices. In the second chapter, "The Hermeneutics of Cervantine Spirituality," McGrath recognizes that the debate surrounding the religious ideology of Don Quixote centers on Ignatian spirituality and Christian Humanism. This chapter also highlights the difficulty of interpreting Cervantes's spirituality against the complicated tapestry of philosophies and faiths interacting in Spain during his lifetime. Subsequently, in chapter three, "Don Quixote and Moral Theology," McGrath examines the moral considerations at play in the Roman Catholic theological tradition and their importance as an academic discipline during Cervantes's lifetime. McGrath makes the case in this chapter that Don Quixote Part II, Chapter LXXIV provides the reader with the confirmation of Cervantes's life dedication to Catholicism. The following chapter, "Tilting at the Truth: Don Quixote's Spiritual Journey as a Contemplative in Action,'' provides insight into the dramatic transformation undergone by Don Quixote before his death. McGrath undertakes a thoughtful discussion based on the reader's lack of information about Alonso Quijano's religious beliefs before becoming Don Quixote and his actions, which according to McGrath, demonstrate a desire to "imitate the life of Jesus when He assumed a human nature" (85). In chapter five, "The Anthropological Vision of Don Quixote," McGrath discusses the anthropological view of the Human person enacted by the Council of Trent and its Christocentric understanding of humanity in relation to God. The author concedes that Don Quixote's motivation to do good may be more chivalric than ethical, but still seeks to uphold, most of the time, the values of virtuous living to reach God. Finally, chapter six, "Turcos traducidos," as the title indicates, deals with the difficulties of translation —not only literal and textual, but also cultural. Here, McGrath investigates the mix of cultures, traditions, and values repeatedly surfacing in Cervantes's text. Concluding his work, McGrath reaffirms that Cervantes's world is complex and infinite and stresses that individual readings of his works will be different yet incomplete, as the "suceso nunca es simple" (441). [End Page 149] McGrath's study does not categorically answer the question of Cervantes's spirituality or his commitment to Catholicism, as he recognizes in the Conclusion: "The Cervantine criticism I discuss in this book clearly illustrates...