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Author Archives: Richard Emerson
The Angels
We’ve just published a new podcast episode about the Creation of the Angels here: https://dantescomedy.com/podcast, and reposted the Empyrean post here: https://dantescomedy.com/before-the-empyrean-the-10th-heaven Enjoy! 😊
Ending at the Deep of Philosophy and Theology
One more thought on the Paradiso – in some ways sphere 9 and 10 are repeating the overall idea of Dante of how both philosophy and theology are paths to deep truths, but theology embeds it all. Sphere 9Â is … Continue reading
Before the 10th Heaven
We’ve just finished the Primo Mobile and the 9th Sphere, and we’re trying to digest what is really happening there; in a sense how the first two books, which are all on Earth, and then eight more spheres in the … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged Aristotle, being, dante, Heavems, motion, paradiso, prepartion, primo mobile, time, transition, writing
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The Creation of the Angels
In Canto 29, Dante describes the origins of the Angelic Beings, as Beatrice can see in the Eternal Mind that the Pilgrim has some questions. Firstly, the argument is that the Angels were created in order to reflect and “resplendor” … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged angelology, angels, canto 29, glory, paradiso, reflection, theology
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Evening Tea
We’ve just finished the Primo Mobile, next stretch is the last four chapters with the Empyrean – and then, we can look back at two years with reading, researching and podcasting from the Comedy! Nine full readings of individual books … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged empyrean, journey, mystery, paradiso, reading, rebirth, renaissance, theology
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The Rings of Angelic Beings
Here’s the moment when the Pilgrim looks at the source of the Divine in the Deep of Motion, and sees the nine rings of Angelic Beings: there came showers of light from all the fiery rings, like molten iron in … Continue reading
The First Mover, and Time
From the moment we leave the Fixed Stars and enter into the First Mover, the poetry changes from deep theology to pure philosophy about motion, the universe, and Time. And the whole sphere is pure motion: “The parts of this, … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
Tagged Beatrice, dante, first mover, motion, nature of universe, paradiso, philosophy, physics, time, transitionpoint
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Motion
The last step before the Empyrean is the source of Motion itself, the First Mover. It might be helpful to remember the Greek definition of nature, or physis; “the underlying force (or source) of motion and change.” Motion is thus … Continue reading
Reflections on Paradiso
Reading the Paradiso for the third, and now fourth time, has been a fully different experience from the first journey through the spheres up to the Empyrean. The narrative seems even less structured than in the other two books, which … Continue reading
Posted in Paradiso
Tagged books, dante, firenze, florence, paradiso, re-reading, reading, reflection
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Dante’s thoughts of the New Papacy around 1300
Towards the boundary of the material cosmos, and right before entering the Eternal Mind of the Divine, Dante sums up his thoughts about Pope Boniface VIII through the voice of St. Peter – the first Pope: He who on earth … Continue reading