The Thomistic Institute Dante and Aquinas – Prof. George Corbett
Mar 9, 2026
George Corbett, Professor of Theology at St. Andrews and specialist in Dante and Aquinas, guides listeners through medieval debates and modern readings. He traces Leo XIII’s campaign to read Dante as Thomist and critiques Etienne Gilson’s opposing view. Short, lively takes explore papal initiatives, scholarly controversies, and Dante’s portrayal of Aquinas in the Heaven of the Sun.
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Leo XIII Crafted The Thomist Dante
- Pope Leo XIII actively promoted Dante as a faithful disciple of St Thomas, removing Monarchia from the Index and commissioning Thomist commentaries.
- His papal initiatives (1881 removal, scholarly commissions, encyclical influence) framed Dante as harmonized with Aquinas and Church teaching.
Leo XIII Commissioned Thomist Dante Scholarship
- Pope Leo XIII commissioned scholars like Giacomo Poleto and encouraged commentaries placing Dante in a Thomistic framework.
- Poleto produced a multi-volume Dictionario Dantesco cross-referencing Aquinas and a three-volume Commedia commentary.
Gilson's Thesis That Dante Committed A Double Crime
- Etienne Gilson argued Dante 'ruined' Christian wisdom and Christendom by separating faith and reason and church and state.
- Gilson's 1934 essay and 1939 monograph portray Dante as striking a 'mortal blow' to Thomism's unity.
