Real Piety during the Baroque Period - The Influence of the Gospel of Matthew on the Catholic expression of piety
2018
Abstract
Catholic tradition was a powerful force during the Baroque period. Whilst the Protestant critique ridiculed many stories about the saints, Catholic scholars tried to use historical criticism to verify the lives of holy people.
In my research, I have tried to find the biblical influence in the lives of the holy people described by the Czech Jesuit scholar Bohuslav Balbín. I found that the stories developed around three main virtues which were influenced by the Gospel of Matthew - prayer, mercy and ascetism.
Balbín tried to address the mainly Protestant inhabitants of the Czech lands. He described the pious lives of holy people, based on the commandments in the Gospel of Matthew.