Author Archives: Richard Emerson

Discovering the “bank” between the Spiritual and Earthly

The revelations of Eden deepen as the Pilgrim looks beyond the Seven Lights. After the Divine Light intensifies above the seven candle sticks, a new cascade of insights are happening for the Pilgrim. First, Virgil admits with his facial expression … Continue reading

Posted in Purgatory | 2 Comments

The Soul as Reflecting Divine Light

A new relationship between the soul and the Divine, as we enter the Garden of Eden. After the combined experience of Heavenly and Earthly is to some extent established in the Garden Eden – as grounded in the Earthly but … Continue reading

Posted in Purgatory, Theology | 2 Comments

Sordello’s Poem “Blacatz”, and its echo in The Valley of Princes.

A look at the Sordello’s most famous Provençal Poem “Blacatz” (c. 1240), and how Dante draws inspiration from this poem in his description of the Valley of Princes in Canto VII of the Purgatory.

Posted in Dante | Leave a comment

Some highlights from the Aeneid

Here’s a 20 minute Introduction to the “Aeneid Series” on the Ancient World Podcast – with a brief overview and the final battle scenes with Turnus.

Posted in Dante | Leave a comment

The Aeneid – A Podcast Series

The Flight from Troy, by Federico Barocci. We’ve just finished reading (and recording) the Aeneid by Virgil – and the last episodes will be up from April 1st – April 6th on the subscription podcast! Four episodes covering the second … Continue reading

Posted in Dante | Leave a comment

Robert Pirsig, and a blended Frame of Mind

We’ve just finished the cult-philosophy-classic novel “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig, an excellent read, and one of the big thoughts standing out afterward is this: that without a larger philosophical, metaphysical or spiritual frame of … Continue reading

Posted in The Sacred | Leave a comment

Pirsig, The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and The Sacred

We’re half way through the cult-philosophy-classic novel “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig now, and it’s a fascinating read, especially through the lens of the brain hemispheres and the work and research of Iain McGilchrist. The … Continue reading

Posted in The Sacred | 13 Comments

Vision Quest – Opening the mind and Resistance

Great new video from our friend Seán Eckmann at Mythos & Logos, with deep symbolic wisdom. From a McGilchrist perspective; the fighting with the Great Spirit that gives insight might be an internal struggle of the hemispheres, the LH (left … Continue reading

Posted in Theology | Leave a comment

The Age of Utopia

What a read. At times a breath-taking experience as the “Age of Utopia” outlines the consequences of the argument that a humanist secular idea of Utopia gradually replaced an inner search for Paradise and a connection to something beyond us, … Continue reading

Posted in Theology | Leave a comment

A review of the Renaissance

Thank you to Ian Glendinning for a wonderful and generous review of our “Renaissance” book! The Renaissance

Posted in Renaissance | Leave a comment

Finishing the Paradiso

..and it left a feeling of only wanting more..

Posted in Misc | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Canto XXXIII

Reading the last canto in Paradiso for the 4th time, it felt bigger than ever. The last Canto of the whole Comedy is likely the biggest masterpiece and genius of them all. But it takes years and years to get … Continue reading

Posted in Misc | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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! 😊

Posted in Misc | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 9  is … Continue reading

Posted in Misc | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment