Christopher Rziha completed his undergraduate studies at Benedictine College, earning degrees in philosophy, theology, and Spanish. He earned his MA at Baylor University, where he analyzed the presence and role of marriage in the religious theater of the Spanish Golden Age. On the way he met and married his amazing wife and welcomed the birth of his first child. Christopher’s research interests lie at the intersection of mystical and theatrical literature of the Spanish Baroque. More specifically, he is interested in examining how the central teachings and themes of the Spanish mystics were dramatized and popularized through theatrical and poetic genres such as the comedia de santos and the auto sacramental, and how these works are situated within the larger historical, cultural, and religious contexts of Baroque Spain. As a result, he is especially engaged with scholarship and research on figures such as Lope de Vega, Juan de la Cruz, Teresa de Jesús, José de Valdivielso, and Marcela de san Félix. In addition, Christopher serves as a Solomon Fellow for the DeNicola Center for Ethics and Culture at Notre Dame, an appointment which reflects his interest in the intersection of Catholic intellectual and moral tradition and Hispanic culture.
Spanish Mysticism, Spanish Theater of the Golden Age, Religious Theater