Natureza e retórica em Fr. Agostinho da Cruz

Resumo

The author tries to identify the boundaries of the concepts of nature and rhetoric in the poetry of Fr. Agostinho da Cruz, locating them within the specific frame of his spirituality. Reading through the works of the friar and going back to the influence of St Augustine, the concepts of Nature as Rhetoric and of ''natural" rhetoric are discussed. Some points of contact with other 16th century texts are hinted at, and an approach to the ascetic-mystical current known as "Christian Socratism" is attempted.