Discussion Question 8: Dante

There are some religious or philosophical ideas in The Inferno that probably just don't seem right or fair or kind or reasonable to you. One reason there are so many protestant versions of Christianity nowadays is because people have tried to re-invent the religion to meet their own needs, but Dante's symbolic interpretation is generally consistent with orthodox Christian belief; he is not making things up.

Your task is to tackle some idea/scene in the poem that seems wrong/unfair/unreasonable to you, to explain the situation, and then (and here's the hard part) to discuss what the Church's reasoning was and why it seemed logical.

So, in essence, you will look at an area that people popularly reject, explain why people see inconsistencies, then defend Dante's vision (you must, of course, explain his or the medieval Church's reasoning).

Warning: even if you do not agree with Dante and orthodox Christian beliefs, you are still trying to demonstrate that you understand them; your answer will explain and support Dante, not attack him. And don't worry, this will not have any effect on your personal beliefs.

Note: To insure that a RANGE of topics are discussed this week, once TWO PEOPLE have posted on a particular Canto, you must select a different Canto for your discussion. Of course you will want to respond to as many of the postings as possible, but I don't want the class to get bogged down with just one or two topics this week :)

Here are a few areas you might want to look at:

• the organization of hell itself (which sins Dante interprets as least and which most deadly); you might consider how and why the three beasts in the beginning of the poem are symbols for the different divisions of hell

• the placement of the virtuous pagans (the unbaptized) in Limbo

• the idea that people will themselves into hell

• the idea that grace is outside a human's control (there is almost a sense of pre-destination about it) but that people's choices/behaviors lead them to hell or heaven

The references to eternal suffering that seem to be contradicted by two separate references to a second judgement (isn't "eternal" forever?)

• the placement of a number of Church officials in hell when it's the Church teachings that Dante is promoting

Don't feel you have to limit yourself to the above suggestions.