Dante and Derrida: Face to FaceReading Dante's Commedia alongside Jacques Derrida's later religious writings, Francis J. Ambrosio explores what these works reveal about religion as a fundamental dynamic of human existence, about freedom and responsibility, and about the significance of writing itself. Ambrosio argues that both the many telling differences between them and the powerful bonds that unite them across centuries show that Dante and Derrida share an identity as religious writers that arises from the human experiences of faith, hope, and love in response to the divine mystery of being human. For both Dante and Derrida, Ambrosio contends, "scriptural religion" reveals that the paradoxical tension of freedom and absolute responsibility must lead to the mystery of forgiveness, a secret that these two share and faithfully keep by surrendering to its necessity to die so as always to begin again anew. |
Contents
| 1 | |
The Promise of Writing | 15 |
The Aporia of Forgiveness | 51 |
Returning to the Scene of Forgiveness | 117 |
Turning Tears into Smiles | 159 |
In Memoriam A Smile in Passing | 213 |
Notes | 229 |
Index | 239 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham allows already appears Beatrice become beginning believe blindness blood Christian comes confession conversion Dante Dante’s decision Derrida desire difference dispensation divine dream economy empty exile existence experience expresses eyes face faith father feed figure final finds flesh forgiveness freedom Gift of Death given giving hand happens heart hope human identified identity impossible inscribed instant Jesus journey justice keeping light marks meaning memory mother movement mystery necessary necessity never occurs offer original Paradiso pass poem poet possibility present promise question recognize refusal relation religion religious remains responsibility Resurrection reveals sacrifice secrecy secret sense separation share singular smile soul speak story structure style substitution suffering tears things tion trace trembling truth turn Virgil vision Vita nuova weep whole witness woman writing written
Popular passages
Page 234 - WHEN Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among the strange people, 2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
Page 109 - If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Page 98 - Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh™ in concupiscence.
Page 109 - Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Page 56 - Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita, Mi ritrovai per una selva oscura Che la diritta via era smarrita.
Page 118 - And when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun was risen. And they were saying among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the tomb ? and looking up, they see that the stone is rolled back: for it was exceeding great.
Page 119 - Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.
Page 162 - O YOU that are in your little bark, eager to hear, following behind my ship that singing makes her way, turn back to see again your shores. Do not commit yourselves to the open sea, for perchance, if you lost me, you would remain astray. The water which I take was never coursed before. Minerva breathes and Apollo guides me, and nine Muses point out to me the Bears.
Page 98 - But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Page 3 - L'acqua ch'io prendo gia mai non si corse. (Paradiso 2. 1-7) (O you that are in your little bark, eager to hear, following behind my ship that singing makes her way, turn back to see again your shores. Do not commit yourselves to the open sea, for perchance, if you lost me, you would remain astray. The water which I take was never coursed before.) To those few who have sought the "bread of angels...