Loved the moment around 2 minutes in, as Dr. Howell starts to discuss the “perfect moment of light,” when the sunlight hits the stained glass behind her. Couldn’t help but recall the beautiful passage near the end of the Canto about the angels: “The primal light that irradiates them all is received by them in as many ways as are the splendours with which it is joined” (La prima luce, che tutta la raia, per tanti modi in essa si recepe, quanti son li splendori a ch’ i’ s’appaia).
Canto 29: Beatrice and Dante stare intently at the non-dimensional point of the Illuminated Intelligence of God. She recognizes that Dante remains interested in the whereness and wheness of the cosmos, of action (energy, movement) and of matter (mass and shape.) She reminds him that God “exists” without any change, being perfect in His eternal Intelligence. For Him, there is neither “before” nor “after.” With the spoken word of God, there came into existence the Intelligence of the formless form of Angels; the corporeal matter of animals; and the embodied Intelligence of humans. This threefold creation exists as action and potential, movement about to be moved. With regard to the angels, although spiritual, and thus god-like, some desired to be God. As a result, they were separated from God’s presence while leaving behind those who were humble enough not to desire to be God, but exalt in being as they are. Unlike humans, whose souls are associated with temporal-physical matter, Angels have no need to differentiate between the past and the present. Humans, however, dream of the past while living in the present. Moreover, humans are the ones who demand entertainment to occupy their lives; they listen to the windy vanity of those who preach from pulpits mere buffoonery, instead of the wisdom given to them by the Intelligence of God. Finally, Beatrice suggests that the two of them have delayed long enough regarding their ultimate encounter with the One Light (Prima Luce) and Never-ending Worth (Etterno Valor) which was and is to be evermore.
As we approach the end of our journey, I want to thank you, Pat, for providing these summaries. They have been a great help to me in understanding the cantos. This is a first reading for me, and I have needed the insights and reflections of those who know the Divine Comedy well in order to appreciate this magnificent but challenging work, So, thank you!
Thank you, Dr. Jenny Howell. Your presentation was exactly what our intro level needed. I am moved and humbled by this Canto XXIX. If the next four Cantis are ascending in incredibleness and mental expansion as the last two Cantos have, then I may be broken down by the end. Strength, brothers and sisters! Beatrice now blinds us by her words, not just her eyes. Beauty and metaphysics go hand in hand. She is representative of both being reflected radiantly in her being and words. If this is truly their last conversation, then I lament without wishing otherwise because greater things lie ahead. "I EXIST" God exists as pure act in contrast to pure potency of formless matter. Creation is formed matter. No moment existed before Creation. God just Is That which Is. That which Is is Trinitarian and the exchange of Love itself. Creation has no reason except for the free Act of Love. The Light of the One is refracted in the multiplicity of splendor while retaining the Oneness, as it was before. Those chatterers and fable tellers on earth who claim knowledge they do not understand are unrighteous. The humble man will commune with God. The humble man, by grace and merited receptive will, can wonder and praise. This communion is the drawing into participation in the Trinity. This communion is the ultimate contemplation and love. This communion is the Beatific Vision. "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be; world without end. Amen. Thank you!
There is so much more to Canto 29 than a discussion about the trinity. Dante seems to present God creating all eternity at the same time (past, present and future as the three arrows). More important is the speech about where the pulpits are filled with those who entertain instead of teaching truth. Truly, this is still a problem in the church.
Thank you, Dr Howell for your passionate, soulful discussion. I found it illuminating in it's understanding, every word was of great assistance in guiding my pilgrim's last steps to Paradise
This is a passionate and well done presentation, but I think more precision was needed in the analysis. In John Ciardi's comments on this canto he stated, "...the numerological significances of trinity are always apt and may be read into the [a] figure at will." He makes no further comment. The figure beiing referenced is the "three string bow (lines 21-24). My opinion is that Dr. Howell certainly took the "at will" part of this comment to its extreme form, perhaps to the point of distortion. Certainly The Comedy is imbued in various places with trinitarian references, but it is arguable to me whether every three can be effusively analyzed as an in depth theological interpretation or conception of the trinity the way Dr. Howell does. While this may appeal to evangelically inclined readers, her stance is apparently a pre-Reformation viewpoint., which makes it ironic that contemporary evangelically minded readers might find it appealing. I think the comments of Harold O. Brown in his book Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church are relevant to Dr. Howell's analysis. Paraphrasing, he writes that since the time of Augustine , with his conviction that "God is the Trinity," the Christian faith, "especially in the West," seems to be saying "Trinity first and God second." Especially prior to the Protestant Reformation, this view supplanted the "persons" of the Trinity. His claim is that this very abstract view of God is what leads persons to seek "intermediaries" between this abstract God and their daily lives.
Eastern philosophy would say SatChitAnanda. This is described as God the Spirit, Christ Consciousness, the reflection of God consciousness in creation or "the son" (and can be carried more in some, who are then identified as Avatars/Christs/Chatania) and the Word/Energy/Holy Ghost as the energy that moved upon the sea of consciousness which has the quality of liquid and from that arose a storm in which creation exists. Thus the practices to calm the consciousness in the individual mind (meditation, yoga, purifying practices and rituals, et al) in order to calm the liquid consciousness so that it reflects God clearly. The experience of this spiritual eye, is a large ring of yellow/gold light/moving/living and within that a deep calm blue of Christ Consciousness and in the center of that the star of the east, the center of the spiritual eye, the tiny individual spirit is magnetized to this point and ever drawn, the place where God exists outside creation in His ever new conscious bliss.
Loved the moment around 2 minutes in, as Dr. Howell starts to discuss the “perfect moment of light,” when the sunlight hits the stained glass behind her. Couldn’t help but recall the beautiful passage near the end of the Canto about the angels: “The primal light that irradiates them all is received by them in as many ways as are the splendours with which it is joined” (La prima luce, che tutta la raia, per tanti modi in essa si recepe, quanti son li splendori a ch’ i’ s’appaia).
Canto 29: Beatrice and Dante stare intently at the non-dimensional point of the Illuminated Intelligence of God. She recognizes that Dante remains interested in the whereness and wheness of the cosmos, of action (energy, movement) and of matter (mass and shape.) She reminds him that God “exists” without any change, being perfect in His eternal Intelligence. For Him, there is neither “before” nor “after.” With the spoken word of God, there came into existence the Intelligence of the formless form of Angels; the corporeal matter of animals; and the embodied Intelligence of humans. This threefold creation exists as action and potential, movement about to be moved. With regard to the angels, although spiritual, and thus god-like, some desired to be God. As a result, they were separated from God’s presence while leaving behind those who were humble enough not to desire to be God, but exalt in being as they are. Unlike humans, whose souls are associated with temporal-physical matter, Angels have no need to differentiate between the past and the present. Humans, however, dream of the past while living in the present. Moreover, humans are the ones who demand entertainment to occupy their lives; they listen to the windy vanity of those who preach from pulpits mere buffoonery, instead of the wisdom given to them by the Intelligence of God. Finally, Beatrice suggests that the two of them have delayed long enough regarding their ultimate encounter with the One Light (Prima Luce) and Never-ending Worth (Etterno Valor) which was and is to be evermore.
As we approach the end of our journey, I want to thank you, Pat, for providing these summaries. They have been a great help to me in understanding the cantos. This is a first reading for me, and I have needed the insights and reflections of those who know the Divine Comedy well in order to appreciate this magnificent but challenging work, So, thank you!
Pat who are you?!
Thank you, Dr. Jenny Howell. Your presentation was exactly what our intro level needed.
I am moved and humbled by this Canto XXIX. If the next four Cantis are ascending in incredibleness and mental expansion as the last two Cantos have, then I may be broken down by the end. Strength, brothers and sisters!
Beatrice now blinds us by her words, not just her eyes. Beauty and metaphysics go hand in hand. She is representative of both being reflected radiantly in her being and words. If this is truly their last conversation, then I lament without wishing otherwise because greater things lie ahead.
"I EXIST"
God exists as pure act in contrast to pure potency of formless matter. Creation is formed matter. No moment existed before Creation. God just Is That which Is. That which Is is Trinitarian and the exchange of Love itself. Creation has no reason except for the free Act of Love. The Light of the One is refracted in the multiplicity of splendor while retaining the Oneness, as it was before.
Those chatterers and fable tellers on earth who claim knowledge they do not understand are unrighteous. The humble man will commune with God. The humble man, by grace and merited receptive will, can wonder and praise. This communion is the drawing into participation in the Trinity. This communion is the ultimate contemplation and love. This communion is the Beatific Vision.
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be; world without end. Amen.
Thank you!
So beautiful, John! What a profound meditation to read on a blessed Easter Sunday!
There is so much more to Canto 29 than a discussion about the trinity. Dante seems to present God creating all eternity at the same time (past, present and future as the three arrows).
More important is the speech about where the pulpits are filled with those who entertain instead of teaching truth. Truly, this is still a problem in the church.
Fascinating and so helpful! Thank you Dr. Howell!
Thank you, Dr Howell for your passionate, soulful discussion. I found it illuminating in it's understanding, every word was of great assistance in guiding my pilgrim's last steps to Paradise
Way way way over my head. Good attempt at explaining it though
This is a passionate and well done presentation, but I think more precision was needed in the analysis. In John Ciardi's comments on this canto he stated, "...the numerological significances of trinity are always apt and may be read into the [a] figure at will." He makes no further comment. The figure beiing referenced is the "three string bow (lines 21-24). My opinion is that Dr. Howell certainly took the "at will" part of this comment to its extreme form, perhaps to the point of distortion. Certainly The Comedy is imbued in various places with trinitarian references, but it is arguable to me whether every three can be effusively analyzed as an in depth theological interpretation or conception of the trinity the way Dr. Howell does. While this may appeal to evangelically inclined readers, her stance is apparently a pre-Reformation viewpoint., which makes it ironic that contemporary evangelically minded readers might find it appealing. I think the comments of Harold O. Brown in his book Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church are relevant to Dr. Howell's analysis. Paraphrasing, he writes that since the time of Augustine , with his conviction that "God is the Trinity," the Christian faith, "especially in the West," seems to be saying "Trinity first and God second." Especially prior to the Protestant Reformation, this view supplanted the "persons" of the Trinity. His claim is that this very abstract view of God is what leads persons to seek "intermediaries" between this abstract God and their daily lives.
Eastern philosophy would say SatChitAnanda. This is described as God the Spirit, Christ Consciousness, the reflection of God consciousness in creation or "the son" (and can be carried more in some, who are then identified as Avatars/Christs/Chatania) and the Word/Energy/Holy Ghost as the energy that moved upon the sea of consciousness which has the quality of liquid and from that arose a storm in which creation exists. Thus the practices to calm the consciousness in the individual mind (meditation, yoga, purifying practices and rituals, et al) in order to calm the liquid consciousness so that it reflects God clearly. The experience of this spiritual eye, is a large ring of yellow/gold light/moving/living and within that a deep calm blue of Christ Consciousness and in the center of that the star of the east, the center of the spiritual eye, the tiny individual spirit is magnetized to this point and ever drawn, the place where God exists outside creation in His ever new conscious bliss.