Dante and Eternal Damnation

And audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Dante’s Divine Comedy, available via podcast feeds. Dante would seem to be a key candidate for infernalism, the doctrine of endless punishment in hell for sinners who failed to turn to Christ. He’s said to be medieval and isn’t that what they believed then? And… Continue reading Dante and Eternal Damnation

Why Hell? Part 1 of 3 talks on Dante’s Divine Comedy

An MP3 version of the talk is on my podcast channel, Dante’s Divine Comedy, available on podcast feeds. The notion of hell is delighted in by some and causes offence in others. So why did Dante write about this infernal domain on his journey through reality? What is its meaning? What might be learnt from… Continue reading Why Hell? Part 1 of 3 talks on Dante’s Divine Comedy

Dante’s Inferno, Part 2, dangers in spiritual seeking, with Rupert Sheldrake

An MP3 of the conversation is on my podcast feed, Dante’s Divine Comedy. This episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues is the second part of a conversation between Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon on the Inferno of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Deeper regions of hell are explored, in which individuals aren’t just confused about life but have… Continue reading Dante’s Inferno, Part 2, dangers in spiritual seeking, with Rupert Sheldrake

Dante’s Inferno and the meaning of descent, with Rupert Sheldrake

Watch on YouTube! Also on your podcast feed. The Divine Comedy by Dante is one of the great spiritual works of the Christian tradition. But how can it be read and what does it mean? In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the first part of Dante’s cosmic pilgrimage.… Continue reading Dante’s Inferno and the meaning of descent, with Rupert Sheldrake

Dante and Spiritual Intelligence – a lecture to the Temenos Academy

An MP3 version of the talk is online here. This lecture was given to the Temenos Academy on Tuesday 19th October 2021 – a particular delight as it was on its perennial philosophy course that the Divine Comedy first began to open up to me. See here for more details – https://www.temenosacademy.org I make some… Continue reading Dante and Spiritual Intelligence – a lecture to the Temenos Academy

Descent is Ascent – How the road up is the road down in Dante

Making sense of why Dante had to travel through hell, what was going on in purgatory, and how that’s all linked to the destination of heaven, comes with appreciating how, in the spiritual life, descent and ascent are profoundly linked. Dante explores the links between virtues and vices, moving beyond the literal, high places are… Continue reading Descent is Ascent – How the road up is the road down in Dante

Dante’s Divine Comedy. The boxset

I’ve just completed the last of 100 YouTubes/podcasts, one for each of the 100 cantos of Dante’s masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. The complete YouTubes series is here. The complete podcast series is here, and on other podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This year, 2020, marks the 700th anniversary of its completion. Next year,… Continue reading Dante’s Divine Comedy. The boxset