Term Papers on Separation Of Church And State In Dante’s Purgatorio

Term Paper Title	Separation Of Church And State In Dante’s Purgatorio
# of Words	747
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	2.99

Separation of Church and State in Dante’s Purgatorio

            The Divine Comedy by Dante was written to be a guide for religious instruction.  It explained religious teachings of the time in a story that was also entertaining, even though it was filled with moral lessons.  Dante also used this work to express his comment on current events.  Dante uses several allegorical figures in Purgatorio to express his comments on the need for the church to focus more on spiritual matters instead of concerning itself with the affairs of politics.  Dante felt that there was a need for separation between church and state in order for the church to fulfill its true purpose of showing people the way to spiritual enlightenment.

            In Canto XXXIII of Purgatorio, the Pilgrim witnesses two very different pageants.  The first pageant is an allegorical reference to what the church was meant to be according to God’s word.  There is a long procession led by seven candlesticks, followed by the elders of the Old Testament.  After the elders, there is a griffin, which represents Christ; the griffin is pulling a chariot surrounded by seven women who represent the seven virtues.  The chariot is obviously representative of the church, and trailing behind the chariot are the men of the New Testament.  This pageant is very beautiful to the Pilgrim and he realizes that it is how God intended the church to be:  following the biblical teachings, surrounded by virtue following the light to salvation and leading the men who came after Christ.

            After witnessing the first pageant, Dante, the Pilgrim falls asleep and is awakened later only to find the chariot.  Next he witnesses another pageant, very different from the first.  There, next to the chariot is a tree that represents the Holy Roman Empire.  Then the chariot suffers several mishaps that basically lead to its complete desecration.  An eagle flies from the tree and sheds its feathers, representing the wealth that has been obtained by the church.  A dragon’s tale comes from the earth and bursts through the floor of the chariot, alluding to one or more of the schisms that the church had suffered.  At the end of the pageant a whore is si...

This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Digital Term Papers. Please register below now!

Digital Term Papers has over 63,000 essays, term papers, and book notes online. Many paper sites will charge you hundreds of dollars for a single paper. Digital Term Papers only charges $14.95 for a one month membership with instant account activation!

Don't waste anymore time! Join NOW!!!

1 Month (automatic renewal) ($14.95)

3 Months (automatic renewal) ($29.95)

6 Months (one-time billing) ($39.95)

Pay by: