Purgatorio, Canto 1 with Dr. Scott Moore

Dr. Scott Moore of Baylor University reflects on Canto 1 of Dante's Purgatorio, and introduces us to the second canticle in the Divine Comedy.
100 Days of Dante is brought to you by Baylor University in collaboration with the Torrey Honors College at Biola University, University of Dallas, Templeton Honors College at Eastern University, the Gonzaga-in-Florence Program and Gonzaga University, and Whitworth University, with support from the M.J. Murdock Trust. To learn more about our project, and read with us, visit 100daysofdante...

[@onecommandment]

What a great introduction to Purgatorio! On this day after Thanksgiving I am so grateful to all the scholars who have (and will) contribute to this wonderful project. And cheers to all our reading companions in the virtual classroom, travelers on this journey.

[@elizabethbrink3761]

Thank you for your comment. I heartily agree!

[@PatMcAnn]

"..like all Christian sanctification, [it] begins in wonder and humility." Beautiful words to live by.

[@treborketorm]

Nice way to begin Purgatorio! Happy thoughts...Sense of community, cooperation, hope, happiness, and gratitude for being there and not in Hell where there is no sun or sky, and the notion that without humility one cannot climb the mountain. Thank you Dr. Moore!

[@lyon3511]

Well, I've been through hell... Book One Inferno... and having read a canto a day and listened to each of these vids along the way, I gotta say this one is brilliant. Thank you, Scott. Gratitude to you and all who've pulled this entire series together.

[@matthewhunt7666]

Thank-you. Catching up with the series rather late; enjoying the teaching. What a beautiful start to this section.

[@texas4197]

It's wonderful to have someone who loves this portion of the Divine Comedy give us insight into the first canto. Dante must learn humility and be transformed by the experience of Purgatory, or he will not be able to see heaven? So this pilgrim is not guaranteed to finish the pilgrimage, and must show improvement while in Purgatory just like he would need to if he was indeed, dead. The ground seems to be shifting under Dante the pilgrim's feet as he travels. This story is becoming even more fascinating as it moves along. Thanks for your enthusiastic input into where we are in this journey and where we are going, Dr. Moore.

[@johndunham9236]

This canticle always stood out to me. I am grateful that I can explore it again with greater understanding with this great project. Humility is the key to the journey! Purgatorio is a hopeful poem!

[@kathleenbasil9631]

Wow! Great introduction Dr Moore! I’m excited to move on! The depths of humility, more said there than can even be absorbed.

[@smbarone2000]

Great explanation of Purgatorio. I am a non-Catholic Christian reader, so now I will look at Purgatory like life here on earth, following Christ as pilgrims, knowing Heaven awaits.

[@rebeccaroach230]

Thank you Dr Moore you made a wonderful opening. Looking forward to traveling through Purgatory. Especially literally.

[@williamgiovinazzo8523]

Really well done. They picked the right person to introduce Purgatorio.

[@susanmhaynes]

I like G.K. Chesterton's comment on conservatism: "Whenever you remove any fence, always pause long enough to ask why it was put there in the first place." Humility requires questioning one's own motives and understanding the motives of others.

[@elizabethbrink3761]

This was incredibly helpful, thank you Dr. Moore!

[@graesert2]

Great introduction to purgatory. I'm pretty sure this is where I'm going to end up so it will be interesting to learn of Dante's take on it!

[@cheryltouryan3323]

I have always wondered about the existence of Purgatory. Protestant theology misses this important , even essential stage of the departed, before they are allowed into heaven. Where do good people go, if they have not had a chance to know who Jesus Christ is, except in Purgatory (similar to Abraham's bosom mentioned in Luke 16!)

[@rickreed2180]

@@cheryltouryan3323 Purgatory is not, in Dante's theology, a place where good people go who did not know Jesus Christ. Aside from Cato, who does not ascend the mountain in order to enter Paradise, the figures you will encounter here are all repentant, and almost all of them are baptized.

[@brendantannam499]

"Phew, I made it!"

[@elizabethmolnar4643]

Thank You

[@raelynearnest3176]

Grateful to have made it out of hell where I hope never to be. Please let me suffer in purgatory. Captivating talk. Thank you.

[@NiallMor]

Dr. Moore mentions that non-Catholic readers may have some difficulty with the idea of Purgatory. I am Catholic, so Purgatory makes perfect sense to me. However, lest I'm too quick to congratulate myself for this, I see many of the same sins in my nature that Dante the pilgrim and his fellow mountain climbers will have to deal with on their ascent: pride, wrath, and sloth, among others. No matter where we are on our life's journey, or what our confession, we will all have to deal with these temptations to sin.