Dante’s “Divine Comedy” is often taught poorly, if even taught at all. At the root of the problem is the tendency to remain trapped in hell, never venturing forth into purgatory and paradise. This is a consequence of the way that Dante has been taught for decades—indeed, for centuries.
Lovers of the Great Books argue interminably about which one is the greatest. Among philosophers, the argument might focus on the relative merits of the works of Plato and Aristotle, or of Augustine and Aquinas. Among lovers of literature, some will argue that Homer’s epics are the greatest while others, possibly though perhaps less convincingly, argue that Virgil deserves the laurel. Then there are those who will insist that Shakespeare is as good as it gets. And yet we can hardly leave Dante out of the discussion. From a specifically Christian literary perspective he must surely stand supreme. He is to Christian literature what Thomas Aquinas is to Christian philosophy. If Thomas is rightly called the Angelic Doctor, might not Dante deserve to be called the Angelic Poet?
If this is so, and it is, we can say that Dante’s Divine Comedy must be seen as an indispensable part of the curriculum at any self-respecting Christian school, at both the high school and college level. The problem is that Dante’s magnum opus is often taught poorly, even when it is taught at all. At the root of the problem is the tendency to remain trapped in hell, never venturing forth into purgatory and paradise. This is a consequence of the way that Dante has been taught for decades—indeed, for centuries.
Ever since the Reformation, it has been the tendency to teach the Inferno to the exclusion of the Purgatorio and the Paradiso. The reason is obvious enough. Protestants believed in hell but not in purgatory. As for paradise, the Protestant idea of heaven precluded the hierarchy of the communion of saints which Dante presents in his Comedy. Since Dante’s purgatory and paradise were considered to be heretical, the Protestants were left with nothing but his hell in which to wallow. Disagreeing with Dante about the nature of the Divine Light, the Protestants could at least agree with him with regard to the darkness which is the consequence of its absence.
The tendency to teach the Inferno to the exclusion of the Purgatorio and the Paradiso, already established as common practice by the Protestants, was continued by the children of the superciliously self-named Enlightenment. Whereas these skeptic-souled secularists might not believe in hell, any more than they believed in purgatory or heaven, they could at least see that evil existed, even if they no longer called it sin, and they could perceive its harmful consequences. As such the Inferno still resonated psychologically, even if its theology was now ignored.
It might be argued that none of the foregoing is of much concern to Christians in general, or to Christian educators in particular. If the secularists want to wallow in Dante’s hell because they have excluded themselves from purgatory and heaven, that’s their problem. Of what concern is it to us? The problem is that Christian schools are also often stuck in hell, having excluded themselves from purgatory and heaven. In all too many schools, even good schools, we find that only Dante’s Inferno is on the curriculum.
Why is this?
In part it is because we have bought the secularist lie that the Inferno is far superior to the other two books of the Commedia. This is quite simply not the case. It was not the view of the poet who composed it, nor of those who understand the poem best. Take, for instance, the judgment of Maurice Baring, one of the most cultured and well-read men of the last century:
Scaling the circles of the “Paradiso,” we are conscious the whole time of an ascent not only in the quality of the substance but in that of the form. It is a long perpetual crescendo, increasing in beauty until the final consummation in the very last line. Somebody once defined an artist… as a man who knows how to finish things. If this definition is true—and I think it is—then Dante was the greatest artist who ever lived. His final canto is the best, and it depends on and completes the beginning.
Having seen through the lie, or at least the misconception born of ignorance, that the Inferno is superior to the other two books of the Commedia, why, one wonders, do some good Christian schools still not teach the Purgatorio and the Paradiso? An all-too-common reason is that the teachers are only teaching what they were taught. Since those who teach were only taught the Inferno, they only know the Inferno. It is, therefore, easier to stay in one’s own comfort zone (in this case, ironically, hell!) rather than venture forth into unknown and uncharted territory. Quite literally, as well as quite literarily, the path of least resistance for many Christian teachers leads to hell—and, what is worse, having led there it stays there.
A final reason for sometimes only teaching the Inferno is that there’s simply not enough time to teach the whole Commedia. Sadly, this is usually true. And yet, if this is so, why not teach the Purgatorio or the Paradiso, and not the Inferno? Better still, and this is the way that I normally teach the Poem, why not select certain cantos from each of the three books, thereby at least giving the students a sense of the majesty and integrity of the whole work?
In conclusion, and regardless of the degree to which the world is only at home in hell, it is imperative that good Christian schools assent to the ascent which leads from hell, via Mount Purgatory, into the celestial spheres of paradise. Where else should Christians seek to be than in the Presence of God and His Saints? Why accept anything less, still less the ultimate “less” which is God’s infernal absence?
Republished with gracious permission from the Journal of the Cardinal Newman Society.
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The featured image is “Allegorical Portrait of Dante” (c. 1530) by Agnolo Bronzino (1503–1572) and is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Yet another good article. Providentially, my wife and I–she a retired humanities teacher and I, a former upper school head–are in a book club with colleagues in the Christian school where my wife taught. We are finishing the Aeneid this morning and will begin the Divine Comedy–yes, the entire work–in the coming weeks. You are totally correct regarding why the entire work is not taught in Christian schools, especially the time issue and the lack of background in Purgatorio and Paradiso. Combined with being tired and overworked along with uninterested students, the temptation to ignore the other is too great. Unfortunately, curriculum is sometimes as much about what you don’t teach as what you do teach. My theory on the supposedly superiority of Inferno: some poor bloke read all three many years ago and he much preferred the Inferno because it more closely resembled his institution. Word got out and . . .well, there you go. Thanks again and I really appreciate your insight.
Very good points, and this has been a long time frustration in conversations about Dante and the Divine Comedy. Everything changes from the first line of Purgatory with the “For better waters now….” – after which the book lays out a whole full cosmology of virtues, the process of metanoia (a “change of mind” through repentance), and a fertile, joyous renewal and rebirth of the Spirit.
There might also be deeper issues at play here about an unbalanced culture in general where the rational domain often over-dominates. Reading Purgatory and Paradise requires (but also trains) a symbolic and more intuitive way of apprehending and understanding the world. And there is also an underlying argument about the limitations and boundaries of Reason (the Role of Virgil) in Dante’s work that questions this unbalance at a deep level. But this is at the same time the very key to a much richer and more expansive experience of life and of Being in itself. Which is all the more an argument for why, rather than teaching the Inferno, one could start at the Purgatory and then follow the Journey into the Paradise. The ending is indeed, the whole argument of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
I recall that when I was in school, getting to the end of a textbook was the exception rather than the rule, and I often found myself reading ahead before we had to return the textbooks at the end of the year, because I knew I would be cheated of something otherwise. I am hardly surprised to hear that students routinely get only a third of a great trilogy, and Mr. Pearce’s additional insights here are fascinating. Perhaps the ascent of homeschooling and Catholic charter schools will be an opportunity to arrest this trend.
Thank you for an excellent article. I was fortunate to have an outstanding instructor for all three works. While Inferno would make the best movie, Purgatorio captured my heart and mind for various reasons. The Comedia is a combined masterpiece of the Christian (and Catholic) imagination that deserves time and attention in our schools. In my case, I actually discovery it “midway along the journey” of my life and can say it has the power to transform the soul in powerful and positive ways. Transformative literature requires passionate, dedicated instructors and I applaud all who are engaged in this activity. You really do make a difference in both young and old readers alike. As one on the threshold of geezer-hood, I offer a sincere “thank you” and hope you continue to teach and write.
In fairness, Purgatory and Paradise may be more profound, but the Inferno is more fun. That can matter when teaching teenagers.
That is a good point. And without the Inferno, Dante’s work would likely be much less known, perhaps not in the common public knowledge at all.
What English translation version of the Divine Comedy do you all recommend. I am reading for personal purposes vs. for a school assignment as I am long past my schooling days.
Hello, I am wondering if you might be willing to detail your plans for teaching portions of each of the three? I was planning to only teach one section due to time, but would much prefer the method you’ve suggested here.