REGISTER BELOW
Dinner | Discussion
This event is designated for University of Chicago undergraduate students. Please contact William Hurley at whurley@lumenchristi.org with any questions.
Dante’s Purgatorio occupies a unique, if oft overlooked place in his Divine Comedy. As Dante ascends Mount Purgatory with Virgil as his guide, he encounters penitent souls encompassing the full breadth and depth of the human experience, all striving towards the purgation of sin and earthly desires. A middle ground between the eternal damnation of the Inferno and the eternal salvation of the Paradiso, the Purgatorio paints a vivid portrait of medieval Italian politics, Christian spirituality and mysticism, divine love, the limits of human reason in the face of the divine, and the notion that no one, should they seek it, is barred from forgiveness, redemption, and mercy.
While the Purgatorio is quite historically, culturally, and theologically dense, this reading group is not dedicated to meditation on the Christian teachings therein. Instead, the focus is on the consideration of the text as a poem, and on poetry as a medium more broadly. What conclusions can be drawn from Dante’s visions, dreams, and representations of man at the extremes of the Christian theological and moral spectra, and what does the poetic form in particular lend to these ends? More importantly, how can poetry convey fundamental truths, realizations, and serve to inspire deep contemplation and reflection where prose fails?
Given our short time together, it will not be possible to read the Purgatorio in its entirety. Reading the poem in full, however, is optional, and encouraged for those who would like to dive deeper into Dante’s work. Meetings will be 90 minutes, and food and refreshments will be served.
Calendar & Syllabus
- Oct. 14, Week 1 – Cantos 1, 3, 4, 6 (Optional: Cantos 2, 5)
- Oct. 21, Week 2 – Cantos 7, 9, 10, 12 (Optional: Cantos 8, 11)
- Oct. 28, Week 3 – Cantos 13, 15, 17, 18 (Optional: Cantos 14, 16)
- Nov. 4, Week 4 – Cantos 19, 21, 22, 24 (Optional: Cantos 20, 23)
- Nov. 11, Week 5 – Cantos: 27, 28, 29 (Optional: Canto 25, 26)
- Nov. 18, Week 6 – Cantos 30, 31, 32, 33
About Undergraduate Reading Groups
Each quarter, the Lumen Christi Institute hosts a number of student-led reading groups at Gavin House (1220 E 58th St.). The reading groups are usually held over a shared meal and all participants are provided a copy of the text. Any undergraduate interested in a shared reading of a great text is welcome to join. No religious affiliation is necessary.