How To Become a Good Person: Dante, Purgatorio & the Transformation of the Human

How do we take ethically malformed, broken humans like us and mold them into the sort of moral exemplars we wish we could be? Various secular views have their own answers (including the contemporary academy), but the classical Christian tradition has a much richer moral vision for humans that understands moral formation to be far more than “ethics education” or inculcating “values.” It’s one thing to acknowledge that we are proud, lustful, and lazy; it’s quite another to be transformed into virtuous followers of Jesus. In this mini-course we’ll look at one of the greatest poets of the West, Dante Alighiere, to see how the Thomistic vision he exemplifies tackles the transformation of sinful humans into glorified divine image-bearers.

In his great allegorical epic poem, The Divine Comedy, the second part, Purgatorio, deals with the renunciation of sin. Magnificent poetry subtly presents sophisticated philosophical theology and anthropology, enfleshing it in gripping stories and memorable images. In this short course, will look at how Dante understands the process of sanctification through his unforgettable vignettes about pride, wrath, and sloth. We will learn something about each of these sins from the poem, and look at the way in which Dante uses narrative and poetic devices to illuminate deep truths about human life.

Come join Chesterton House as we listen to preeminent Christian philosopher Eleonore Stump take us on a tour of Dante’s literary masterpiece, the Purgatorio.