Commentary

[in chronological order]

Dante’s Philosophical Life by Paul Stern

- Stern, Paul. Dante’s Philosophical Life: Politics and Human Wisdom in “Purgatorio.” Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, Incorporated, 2018.
From the publisher: When political theorists teach the history of political philosophy, they typically skip from the ancient Greeks and Cicero to Augustine in the fifth century and Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth, and then on to the origins of modernity with… More

The Genesis of Secular Politics in Medieval Philosophy: the King of Averroes and the Emperor of Dante

- Ahmed, Sabeen. “The Genesis of Secular Politics in Medieval Philosophy: The King of Averroes and the Emperor of Dante.” Labyrinth 18, no. 2 (2016): 209–31.
Excerpt: In contemporary political discourse, the “clash of civilizations” rhetoric often undergirds philosophical analyses of “democracy” both at home and abroad. This is nowhere better articulated than in Jacques Derrida’s… More

Dante: A Very Short Introduction

- Hainsworth, P, and D Robey. Dante: A Very Short Introduction. Very Short Introductions. Oxford: OUP Oxford, 2015.
From the publisher: In this Very Short Introduction, Peter Hainsworth and David Robey take a different approach to Dante, by examining the main themes and issues that run through all of his work, ranging from autobiography, to understanding God and the order… More

Dante in Context

- Barański, Zygmunt, and Lino Pertile. Dante in Context. Edited by Zygmunt Barański and Lino Pertile. Literature in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
From the publisher: In the past seven centuries Dante has become world renowned, with his works translated into multiple languages and read by people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. This volume brings together interdisciplinary essays by leading,… More

The Language(s) of Civic Invective in Dante: Rhetoric, Satire, and Politics

- Honess, Claire. “The Language(s) of Civic Invective in Dante: Rhetoric, Satire, and Politics.” Italian Studies 68, no. 2 (July 1, 2013): 157–74.
Abstract: This article examines Dante’s use of political invective – and, in particular, of invective against Florence – in both his vernacular and his Latin works. It explores the terminology used by the poet to describe his corrupt city, and suggests… More

Dante and Epicurus: A Dualistic Vision of Secular and Spiritual Fulfilment

- Corbett, George. Dante and Epicurus: A Dualistic Vision of Secular and Spiritual Fulfilment. London: Routledge, 2013.
From the publisher: Dante and Epicurus seem poles apart. Dante, a committed Christian, depicted in the Commedia a vision of the afterlife and Gods divine justice. Epicurus, a pagan philosopher, taught that the soul is mortal and that all religion is vain… More

The Devout Critic: Dante and the Church

- Horne, Brian. “The Devout Critic: Dante and the Church.” International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church 12, no. 3–4 (2012): 279–92.
Abstract: It is a mistake to read the late medieval poem the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri as though it were a theological tract or a political treatise; but both theology and politics were central to the mind and heart of the great Florentine poet and it… More

Dante in the Long Nineteenth Century: Nationality, Identity, and Appropriation

- Audeh, Aida, and Nick Havely. Dante in the Long Nineteenth Century: Nationality, Identity, and Appropriation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.
From the publisher: This collection of essays by an international group of scholars offers an account of Dante’s reception in a wide range of media: visual art, literature, theatre, cinema, and music, from the late eighteenth century through to the… More

T.S. Eliot, Dante, and the Idea of Europe

- Douglass, Paul. T.S. Eliot, Dante, and the Idea of Europe. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2011.
From the publisher: T. S. Eliot’s response to Dante includes aesthetic, philosophical, and religious convictions, his formative influence upon literary modernism’s “classicism,” and his desire to promote European unity. The book’s deals with… More
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Multimedia

Paul Stern: Dante’s Philosophical Life

- Paul Stern, "Dante's Philosophical Life," The Political Theory Review (podcast), 2018.
A conversation with Paul Stern about his recent book, Dante’s Philosophical Life: Politics and Human Wisdom in Purgatorio (Penn).

Centre for Dante Studies: The Leeds Dante Podcast

- The Centre for Dante Studies, Leeds Dante Podcast, University of Leeds,
The Centre for Dante Studies runs a podcast, which can be subscribed to freely from anywhere in the world. The podcast is designed both to enrich undergraduates’ study of Dante, and to be of interest to a broader audience. The Leeds Dante podcast offers… More

Christian Moevs: Dante: Knowing Oneself, Knowing God

- Christian Moevs, “Dante: Knowing Oneself, Knowing God”, University of Notre Dame, 2016.
Presented by Professor Christian Moevs, Department of Romance Languages and Literature, University of Notre Dame, February 24, 2016 at the Eck Visitors Center, Notre Dame.

Giuseppe Mazzota: Dante’s Theology of the Future

- Giuseppe Mazzota, “Dante’s Theology of the Future”, Baylor University, 2015.
Dr. Giuseppe Mazzotta (Sterling Professor in the Humanities for Italian & Chairman of Italian, Yale University) presenting “Dante’s Theology of the Future: Inferno XIX and Paradiso XXXIII”

John Took: Dante: A Man for All Seasons

- John Took , “Dante: A Man for All Seasons”, Benedictus Liberal Arts, 2015.
To celebrate the 750th anniversary of Dante Aligheri’s birth Professor John Took (UCL) gave a public lecture as part of our Summer School. Prof. Took is an internationally renowned scholar and expert on Dante and an inspiring speaker who can bring the… More

Grant Harris et al.:Dante Alighieri’s 750th Birthday Anniversary

- Grant Harris et al., “Dante Alighieri’s 750th Birthday Anniversary”, Library of Congress, 2015.
In partnership with the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, the Library hosted a panel discussion of distinguished scholars who spoke about Dante Alighieri’s influence on music, American art and popular culture,… More

David Wray: On Rereading Dante’s Vita Nuova

- David Wray, “On Rereading Dante’s Vita Nuova”, University of Chicago, 2012.
As part of UChicago’s 34th annual Humanities Day on October 20, 2012, David Wray, Associate Professor in Classics and Director of the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH), and Hilary Strang, Deputy Director of MAPH, gave a reading of… More

Giuseppe Mazzotta: Dante in Translation

- Giuseppe Mazzotta, “Dante in Translation,” Yale Open Courses, 2009.
The course is an introduction to Dante and his cultural milieu through a critical reading of the Divine Comedy and selected minor works (Vita nuova, Convivio, De vulgari eloquentia, Epistle to Cangrande). An analysis of Dante’s autobiography, the Vita… More