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Document Details : Title: When Christ Came to Leuven Subtitle: A Controversial Latin Drama from the Jesuit College of 's-Hertogenbosch (1620) Author(s): DE SUTTER, Nicholas Journal: Humanistica Lovaniensia Volume: 74 Date: 2025 Pages: 335-392 DOI: 10.2143/HLO.74.0.3294852 Abstract : Despite its brief existence, the Jesuit college of ’s-Hertogenbosch contributed to the Order’s rich theatrical traditions. While too little material survives to provide a complete picture of this local tradition, we are not left entirely empty-handed, as a preserved manuscript offers a glimpse into this repertoire. Among its contents, one play stands out: Christus iterum patiens inter peccata studiosorum Lovaniensium. This one-act play imagines Christ returning to early modern Leuven, where he encounters theologians and students. The sinful behaviour of the latter so deeply distresses Christ that his Second Coming tragically devolves into a Second Passion. Alongside presenting a critical edition of this short Neo-Latin play, this article explores how the playwright transformed this mediaeval legend into a Neo-Senecan drama and examines the intense controversy this seemingly innocuous play sparked between the University and the Jesuits. |
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