Leeds Studies on Dante – serie

This book proposes a radically new interpretation of the Comedy’s encyclopedism by focusing on Dante’s work in light of the medieval imago mundi tradition. The work opens with a discussion of how the Florentine poet transgressed every generic boundary in his effort to gather «into one volume» a vast and varied set of creatures, places, landscapes, historical and mythological persons, weather conditions, and arts. It then goes on to show that this extraordinary encyclopedic breadth should be understood in the terms of Boethian and Augustinian spiritual exercises of envisioning the whole world in the mind’s eye, which themselves became the interpretive framework for the spiritual ends behind medieval encyclopedic texts. By bringing attention to Latin Platonism and twelfth-century authors (such as Alan of Lille, Bernard Silvestris, William of Conches, Hugh of St. Victor, and Thierry of Chatres), this book provides compelling new readings of the De vulgari eloquentia, as well as provocative insights into key figures (such as Brunetto Latini, Pier della Vigna, and Ulysses) and key passages (Purgatorio 28, Paradiso 26, and Paradiso 33).

Medieval liturgical practice both expressed and helped shape habits of thought and imagination in ways which were deep and far-reaching, encompassing embodied, lived experience and the most sophisticated theological thought. This book argues that Dante, in common with his contemporaries, saw the liturgical rituals of the Church as a mode of religious practice which manifested what he considered to be the central truths regarding the relationship between God, human beings, and the world. It also shows how Dante’s Commedia engages with medieval understandings of the sacraments, an idea which has been largely neglected in studies of Dante. Seen in this way, the poet’s engagement with liturgy is central to the daring and highly original poetic project of the Commedia, shaping its treatment of time, its engagement with theology, and its portrayal of the soul’s awakening to the condition of creation itself.

This book offers a reading of one of world literature’s most famous female characters. Beatrice is female, uneducated, and lacks all other trappings of theological authority. Yet she carries profound theological authority in the Commedia, despite appearing alongside other characters who were real theologians. The book opens up the hermeneutical space between historical theologians and their poetic counterparts. Through Beatrice’s presence as lover and beloved, and with her distinctive theological voice, we can understand the core of Dante’s theology. For the pilgrim, the encounter with Beatrice is the hinge around which the entire narrative turns; twentieth-century philosophy can enrich that significant moment by offering a dialogic perspective. This book offers an encounter with the text which takes seriously the lifeworld of Dante and his sources, while remaining vital and responsive to contemporary life and thought.

The two volumes of Reviewing Dante’s Theology bring together work by a range of internationally prominent Dante scholars to assess current research on Dante’s theology and to suggest future directions for research.Volume 1 considers some of the key theological influences on Dante. The contributors discuss what ‘doctrine’ might have meant for Dante and consider the poet’s engagement with key theological figures and currents in his time including: Christian Aristotelian and scholastic thought, including that of Thomas Aquinas; Augustine; Plato and Platonic thought; Gregory the Great; and notions of beatific vision. Each essay offers an overview of its topic and opens up new avenues for future study. Together they capture the energy of current research in the field, test the limits of our current knowledge and set the future study of Dante’s theology on firm ground.

The two volumes of Reviewing Dante’s Theology bring together work by a range of internationally prominent Dante scholars to assess current research on Dante’s theology and to suggest future directions for research. Volume 2 considers some of the broader social, cultural and intellectual contexts for Dante’s theological engagement. The contributors discuss the relationship between theology and poetry as Dante sees and presents it; Dante’s thought on the nature of the Church; the ways in which liturgical practice helped shape the poet’s work; the links between Dante’s political and theological ideas; the importance of preaching in Dante’s context; the ways in which the notion of virtue connects theological and ethical thought in Dante’s works; and the extent to which Dante’s often surprising, groundbreaking work tests medieval notions of orthodoxy. Each essay offers an overview of its topic and opens up new avenues.