Course Description:

This class will explore portions of Dante’s Divine Comedy, including some of the eye-popping artwork inspired by it. The focus will ultimately be upon the Poet’s treatment of the Seven Deadly Sins in the Purgatorio, examining ways we can combat each of them when faced in our daily lives. All classes will run 7:10–7:50 pm in the Parish House Annex.

Outline of Classes:

March 8: Introduction to Dante, the Divine Comedy, and the Seven Deadly Sins Class Notes

March 15: The sins of Pride and Envy Class Notes, Reflection Sheet

March 22: The sins of Wrath and Sloth Class Notes, Reflection Sheet

March 29: The sins of Avarice and Gluttony Class Notes, Reflection Sheet

April 5: The sin of Lust, and a glimpse beyond into Paradise Class Notes, Reflection Sheet

For Further Reading:

Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy. H. R. Huse, transl. New York: Rinehart, 1954. A very readable English translation, with helpful notes.

Alighieri, Dante. Dante’s Purgatorio. Sandow Birk and Marcus Sanders, transl. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2005. An interesting, thought-provoking adaptation of the center section of the Divine Comedy, mostly set in San Francisco.

Gallagher, Joseph. A Modern Reader’s Guide to Dante’s The Divine Comedy. Ligouri, Missouri: Ligouri/Triumph, 1999. The “Cliff Notes” to Dante’s masterpiece.

Elsen, Albert E. The Gates of Hell. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1985. An exhaustive look at Auguste Rodin’s great artistic masterpiece, inspired by Dante.

Stafford, William S. Disordered Loves: Healing the Seven Deadly Sins. Cambridge: Cowley, 1994. An insightful guide by the present Dean of the Episcopal Seminary at the
University of the South (Sewanee).