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BOOK REVIEWS 483 The Immaculate Conception in Spanish Art. By Suzanne L. Stratton. (New York: Cambridge University Press. 1994. Pp. xvi, 176; 8 color plates. $55.00.) In recent years a number of books have appeared which explore the relationship between art and theology. When written by scholars with background in both disciplines—such as Margaret Miles—these works provide thoughtprovoking reminders ofthe power ofvisual imagery to shape faith and enhance spiritual understanding. In other cases,including the work under review, it is evident that the author's expertise lies in one field only. Stratton, Director of Fine Arts and Cultural Programs at The Spanish Institute in NewYork, is a scholar of Spanish art and has contributed essays and catalogue entries to numerous publications on aspects of this subject. The intended audience of this book is unclear. It seems more an extended article than a true monographic study, assuming on the part ofthe reader a knowledge of European history generally and Spanish history more specifically. An historical overview of the turbulent period under discussion would have been extremely valuable and allowed the Immaculate Conception debates to be placed within an appropriate context, especially since support for the doctrine in Spain would seem to be as much politically as theologically motivated. At the very least, a time chart of Spanish kings and major political events would have been helpful. There is no systematic summary of the doctrine's development, since the author's main focus is on Spanish contributions. The introduction highlights the premise that the cult ofthe Immaculate Conception in sixteenthand seventeenth-century Spain received its impetus from the royal court. While supporting evidence is presented, this thesis is never fully explored, and only brief allusions are made to possible reasons for royal interest. The book is divided into five chapters. In theory at least, the first four chapters proceed chronologically, outlining the history of the Immaculate Conception controversy and its artistic manifestations through the fifteenth century, in the sixteenth century, during the reign of Philip III (1598- 1621), and during the reign of Philip IV (1621-1665). In practice, a tendency to move back and forth between time periods leads to some confusion. The fifth chapter shifts focus to discuss one particular element related to Immaculist devotion, a version of the rosary known as the Stellarium. Its influence—in the form of a crown of twelve stars—is evident in many art works,including those which do not represent the Immaculate Conception specifically. An epilogue discusses the reign ofCarlos II and the Immaculate Conception in late Baroque art. This study is not without merit, especially for those with artistic interests. Brief commentary is included on a large number of paintings, some fairly well known and others by relatively obscure artists. There are eight color plates and ninety-three black and white illustrations. The text documents various early attempts to depict the doctrine, and the development of its definitive iconographie form is discussed at some length, with emphasis on the dominant role played by Spanish artists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. A detailed 484 BOOK REVIEWS bibliography is included and there are extensive notes, although the tendency to cite secondary rather than primary sources for theological documents is frustrating . The Immaculate Conception has been, and continues to be, widely misunderstood . Among Protestants it is often confused with the Virgin Birth;for many Catholics it expresses the perfection and purity of theVirgin but the concept of her exemption from original sin is scarcely grasped. Stratton's book provides numerous fascinating examples of how visual artists have expressed this abstract belief in concrete terms, but, unfortunately, it does little to illuminate the doctrine itself. Diane E. Peters Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario For Matters of Greater Moment: The First Thirty Jesuit General Congregations :A BriefHistory and a Translation ofthe Decrees. Edited byJohn W. Padberg, SJ., Martin D. O'Keefe, SJ., and John L. McCarthy, SJ. [Jesuit Primary Sources in English Translations, Series I, Number 12.] (St. Louis: Institute ofJesuit Sources. 1994. Pp. xx,788. $47.95.) The general congregation is the ultimate governing body of the Society of Jesus. Unlike the general chapters of other religious orders that met on a...

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