Talk Write

In today’s canto, Dante has some choice questions for Beatrice. How exactly does atonement work? How can the sin of humanity be wiped out? How does Christ’s suffering our punishment translate into redemption? Beatrice as ever answers Dante in good, reasonable scholastic method, and even delivers him a few nuggets of wisdom about the final resurrection of the body.

Tras. John Ciardi

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In today’s canto, Dante has some choice questions for Beatrice. How exactly does atonement work? How can the sin of humanity be wiped out? How does Christ’s suffering our punishment translate into redemption? Beatrice as ever answers Dante in good, reasonable scholastic method, and even delivers him a few nuggets of wisdom about the final resurrection of the body.

Tras. John Ciardi

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Today, Emperor Justinian discourses about the history and trajectory of the Roman Eagle. From its humble origins among the brood of Romulus to the most powerful empire in Western History, the eagle flies over history, left and right. In addition to that, Justinian discusses the age-old problem of sacred church and secular powers. How much relationship between these two is too much? For Dante, it’s a thorny issue: it was owing to too much state in the Church that he was exiled from Florence. Trans. John Ciardi

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Today, Emperor Justinian discourses about the history and trajectory of the Roman Eagle. From its humble origins among the brood of Romulus to the most powerful empire in Western History, the eagle flies over history, left and right. In addition to that, Justinian discusses the age-old problem of sacred church and secular powers. How much relationship between these two is too much? For Dante, it’s a thorny issue: it was owing to too much state in the Church that he was exiled from Florence. Trans. John Ciardi

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Get full access to Talk Write at brandoncookwriter.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s canto, Beatrice finishes her discourse on the will. Take vows seriously! You’re offering up nothing less than your freedom to God; sacrifice that, and you tear the terms of the covenant. That being said, “like an arrow driven with such might it strikes its mark before the string is still” Beatrice and Dante rocket up to the second rung of Paradise, Mercury, where a blessed soul soon makes itself known…Trans. John Ciardi

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In today’s canto, Beatrice finishes her discourse on the will. Take vows seriously! You’re offering up nothing less than your freedom to God; sacrifice that, and you tear the terms of the covenant. That being said, “like an arrow driven with such might it strikes its mark before the string is still” Beatrice and Dante rocket up to the second rung of Paradise, Mercury, where a blessed soul soon makes itself known…Trans. John Ciardi

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In today’s canto, Dante asks how is it that Picccarda Donati, whose vow was broken through no fault of her own, could still be punished. Beatrice is on hand to explain things: a will broken through outside interference is still a will unperfected. Want to see a will in perfect alignment with God? Look to Father Lawrence, Bishop of Rome, martyred by slow roasting over an open fire. Divine justice is perfect indeed, but that makes it no less difficult a pill to swallow. Trans. John Ciardi

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In today’s canto, Dante asks how is it that Picccarda Donati, whose vow was broken through no fault of her own, could still be punished. Beatrice is on hand to explain things: a will broken through outside interference is still a will unperfected. Want to see a will in perfect alignment with God? Look to Father Lawrence, Bishop of Rome, martyred by slow roasting over an open fire. Divine justice is perfect indeed, but that makes it no less difficult a pill to swallow. Trans. John Ciardi

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Dante and Beatrice ascend to the first level of the blessed. In the Ptolemaic scheme Dante employs, the moon stands at the furthest reach of God’s paradise. It’s home to those who were inconstant in their vows towards God; even those who were forced to break vows through some outside influence are nevertheless fated to rise no higher in the divine scheme. Yet there is no animosty here or talk of injustice: in the words of Piccarda Donati, forced to leave her nunnery for an arranged marriage, “In His will is our peace.”

Trans. John Ciardi

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Dante and Beatrice ascend to the first level of the blessed. In the Ptolemaic scheme Dante employs, the moon stands at the furthest reach of God’s paradise. It’s home to those who were inconstant in their vows towards God; even those who were forced to break vows through some outside influence are nevertheless fated to rise no higher in the divine scheme. Yet there is no animosty here or talk of injustice: in the words of Piccarda Donati, forced to leave her nunnery for an arranged marriage, “In His will is our peace.”

Trans. John Ciardi

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Get full access to Talk Write at brandoncookwriter.substack.com/subscribe