As we keep moving into the Sphere of the Sun in Canto XI of Paradiso, it’s becoming more clear both how central the Theosis is for Dante’s Cosmology as a Telos, but also how this is the key historical change after the crucifixion – the event that opened up the possibility of transforming your soul and gradually unify with the Heavens, in the Earthly Life.
One of the gradual realizations in the journey through Dante’s Comedy is how he is putting the unity with the Divine, the Deification, or the Theosis, at the very center of human life and his poetic narrative through the spiritual realms. And this also means that even as a Catholic work, Christ is in one way not at the center of it, but functions more as an example, and the revolutionary event that opened up this possibility for individuals and humanity. In Dante’s view, the crucifixion is the event that broke the “lock” since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, and opened up the Heavens for us again.
This view becomes clear in for example St. Thomas speech in Canto XI, when he talks about the Providence that governs the world with such wisdom, that every aspect of the things created are decided before they reach their own natural purpose or telos. Every aspect of the creation is thought through and the purpose and fulfillment is already seen before it is taking place.
And from there Thomas goes straight to the following argument:
però che andasse ver’ lo suo diletto
la sposa di colui ch’ad alte grida
disposò lei col sangue benedetto,
Meaning: “therefore it moved towards its delight, the spouse of him who with loud screams, married her with his blessed blood”, which means the Church or community of followers, united with Ch-st on the cross, with the passion. But it also means that the unity of the soul and G-d opened up through this event, as a re-established bridge or the new connection between Heaven and Earth. From this moment on, you as a person can move inwards in contemplation and spiritually discover, gradually align with, and ultimately unite with the Divine because of this event. Which points to several much higher levels of Telos for humanity, the earth, the solar system and perhaps even the cosmos in a larger sense. From this point on in history, on our swirling little planet around the sun, there are creatures with a spiritual awareness and participation in the spiritual realm, who are also aiming for an experience of deification and unity, with G-d. And again in Dante’s view, this is the sole event in human history, that dramatically changes the trajectory of the human endeavor, and puts us on a path to a much higher form of purpose or Telos.
Seen from this perspective, we can also see the earlier words of Emperor Justinian in the sphere of Mercury even clearer; The role of the Roman Empire to create the conditions for this event to happen, and the possibility and necessity for human civilization and humanity at large, to now aim for this theosis and alignment with the Transcendent Truth and Good, which is now opened.
In other words; when Thomas starts his explanation of one of the Pilgrim’s doubts or questions, he outlines the overall picture as 1) The Divine Providence moves the world and shapes it, and 2) how Providence arranged for the event of the Crucifixion, to move humanity forward and enabling the deep spiritual transformation for humans through the possibility of Theosis. And this movement is what the Divine Comedy is all about, in both its narrative and its core message or purpose, to guide us from isolation in the dark forest, through one hundred cantos of learning and discovery, and into the final unity with the Divine, the eternal spirit, the infinite realm of Being, from which we arise, and towards which the soul is longing back – in the framework of both St. Aquinas and Dante’s cosmology.
So from this point on in the Paradiso, at the level of the Sun, this idea has taken the center stage as where we are headed, and we are given the practical and spiritual wisdom needed to pursue this goal. The beginning presentation of St. Francis reflects this as well – his renunciation of material wealth and pursuit of a simpler life in contemplation and aimed towards something higher, becomes one of countless examples of the practical path towards this unity, in this case through simplicity and devotion, and love.
As a final point one can also ponder how different this overall framing of Catholicism is, compared to more contemporary strains of Christianity. Dante is proposing and emphasizing not a moral framework with dogmas and a hope for something in the afterlife, but a glowing and living change in your own life right now, with the path for deep spiritual transformation that will renew and enrich your soul, your being, your experience of life and your relationships, as a gift and a blessing here in the Earthly. And also as a joyful and illuminating way of gradually uniting with the Transcendent and discover the real Truth and Beauty in your own life, increasingly merging your soul with the Highest Heavens.
Date: 2024-01-23 17:15:50 - Views: 57
