Department of Italian
Dante's Commedia: theology as poetry
Robinson College, Cambridge
12-14th December 2003
This international conference, supported by the Department of Italian and the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, will encourage dialogue between the disciplines of Dante studies and theology. By bringing together specialists and researchers in the two fields, the conference will explore two related questions. First, what are the theological implications of Dante's poetic narrative? Second, what light do theological considerations throw on Dante's poem as a literary text? Taking either a medieval or a contemporary perspective, speakers will offer readings of the Commedia which: a) examine Dante's poem as a theological enterprise; or b) explore the intersection in Dante's poem between theological and literary concerns.
**** Please note that registration has now closed ****
Programme
Friday 12th December:11.30 - 14.15 Registration
14.30 - 14.40 Welcome
14.40 - 15.50 Robin Kirkpatrick (University of Cambridge): "Polemics of Praise: Theology in the Commedia as text, narrative and rhetoric"
15.50 - 16.20 Coffee
16.20 - 17.30 Douglas Hedley (University of Cambridge): "Divine Light, Contemplation, and the Problem of Dante's poetic Imagination"
17.30 - 17.45 Break
17.45 - 18.55 Peter Hawkins (Boston University): "Seeing is Believing: Poetry and Theology in Paradiso XXVIII"
Saturday 13th December:
9.30 - 10.15 Vittorio Montemaggi (University of Cambridge): "'Nulla vedere e amor mi costrinse': Ulysses, Ugolino and the theology of the Commedia"
10.20 - 11.05 Matthew Treherne (University of Cambridge): "Purgatorio and the liturgical subject"
11.05 - 11.30 Coffee
11.30 - 12.40 Piero Boitani (University of Rome, La Sapienza): "The Poetry and Poetics of Creation"
12.40 - 14.15 Lunch
14.15 - 15.00 Theresa Oliver (University of Reading): "Dante's Davidic Journey: from sinner to psalmist"
15.00 - 15.10 Break
15.10 - 16.20 Oliver Davies (University of Wales at Lampeter): "Cosmology and Beatrice's Smile"
16.20 - 16.50 Coffee
17.00 - 18.10 Christian Moevs (University of Notre Dame): "'Il punto che mi vinse': Incarnation, Revelation, and Self-Knowledge in Dante's Comedy"
19.15 - 19-45 Drinks
19.45 Conference Dinner
Sunday 14th December:
9.00 - 10.10 Paola Nasti (University of Reading): "Of this world and the other: Dante on caritas, ecclesia and biblical poetry"
10.10 - 10.30 Coffee
10.30 - 11.40 Denys Turner (University of Cambridge): "How to do things with words: poetry as sacrament in Dante's Commedia"
12.10 - 12.20 Break
12.20 - 13.30 David Ford (University of Cambridge) and John Took (University College, London) in conversation on "Dante's Commedia: theology as poetry"
The conference will begin after lunch on Friday 12th December and end at lunchtime on Sunday 14th December.
For registration details please click here
For further information please contact Matthew Treherne mjt1009@cam.ac.uk or Vittorio Montemaggi vm217@cam.ac.uk.
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