Rowson, A orcid.org/0000-0002-8815-8296 (2021) Kaleidoscopic Beatrice: through the theologians, as a theologian. Italian Studies, 76 (1). pp. 18-31. ISSN 0075-1634
Abstract
In this article, I suggest that the character of Beatrice in Dante’s Commedia should be understood as a theologian, even though her claim to such status relies not on an established historical authority – on written treatises, sermons, works, or reputation – but rather on the nature of the particular person which Dante constructed over his poetic career. The article accordingly reads Beatrice through two major theologians: Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), and Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274). As case studies, the two present rich opportunities for understanding Dante’s own views about theology, but by seeing them through the prism of Beatrice, we can understand more fully the reasons why neither is sufficient for the pilgrim’s salvation. Beatrice both incorporates and departs from their teachings and authority. In her lover/beloved relationship with the pilgrim, theology becomes not personified, as has often been the claim, but personalised, requiring a person-to-person realisation.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Dante; Divine Comedy; theology; Beatrice; Bernard of Clairvaux; Thomas Aquinas |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Languages Cultures & Societies (Leeds) > LCS Administration |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Modern Humanities Research Association Not Known AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) AH/J003778/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 05 Nov 2020 17:06 |
Last Modified: | 27 Sep 2022 12:11 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Routledge |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/00751634.2020.1859784 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:167650 |
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