Comparing Dante's Revelations Of Divine Love And Thomas Aquinas

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Recommended: Examples of courtly love in medieval literature

Etched in the backbone of numerous medieval texts is the closing line of Dante's Paradiso, "the love that moves the sun and the other stars" (Paradise XXXIII; 145). This short line of iambic pentameter encapsulates the broad notion of divine love, which in the Medieval Period, was considered the driving force towards the infinite. In Dante's Divine Comedy, Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love, and Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica, divine love is a central theme exposed in true human love through poetic pilgrimages, mystic revelations, and philosophical teachings. Each work exposes human love in its most charitable and pure form as interrelated with divine love and in its most passionate and self-serving form as distinguished from the divine.
Dante Alighieri was steeped in Latin and vigorous in all the liberal arts, however, he chose to …show more content…

This is evident in Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica with regards to Question 94's Third Article: Do All Virtuous Acts Belong to the Natural Law? Regan explains virtue as "human excellence [which there are] three kinds: intellectual, moral, and theological" (Regan 217). Intellectual virtue consists of scientific knowledge, theories, and the 'natural law' as well as 'practical wisdom and skills.' Moral virtue is the ability to act practically through one's wisdom. Theological virtue consists of three supporting virtues: "faith, hope, and charity" (Regan 217). In Aquinas' answer he asserts that "all virtuous acts belong to the natural law, since one's own reason by nature dictates that one act virtuously" (Regan 45). Aquinas emphasizes the notion that human virtue, which consists of charity – the most excellent of all virtues which is to love God and love others – belongs to the natural law human beings are inclined to follow. Above this natural law is divine law, which surpasses all human

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