dante's inferno
The Rise and Decline of the "Great Synthesis" During the middle ages, a unified Christian culture was developing rapidly, building a medieval view that was supported by a combination of one church, one human history, and one theology. This view was symbolized in Dante's Inferno and gives a mirrored look at how God's plan was structured in its ethical, political, and theological ideas that those of this time believed in so strongly. Two centuries later, a period of revolution took place led by a man named Martin Luther. Luther took issue with the traditional medieval view and this culminated into a new theology of salvation that was based on faith, rather than the performance of good works and grace (Fiero, 476). During medieval life, the belief in the "divine promise of deliverance and eternal bliss" brought about unification amongst Christians in a single theology and Church (Fiero, 105). This is reflected in Dante's Inferno in a symbolic manner that creates an imaginative correspondence between a soul's sin on Earth and the punishment he or she receives in Hell (French). This idea provides many of Dante's moments of symbolic power and imagery that also serves to illuminate a major theme of Dante's:
His goal was not to destroy the Catholic Church, but rather make necessary modifications to it. There was a strong belief that the soul's sin on Earth and the punishment he or she receives in Hell were related as shown in Inferno. " He stood up for ideas and pointed criticism of Church abuses, chronicled in his Ninety-Five Theses. It is an accurate portrayal of the "great synthesis" of medieval life that connected several elements of the early Christian ideas and were so strongly believed in amongst the people at this time. Even though he risked torture and execution, he nevertheless refused and professed his right to believe in his ideas. New York: Arts & Entertainment, 2003. By showing cultural synthesis within the text, we can see how Dante forges an identical treatment for sinners on all levels of society and historical cultures under Christian religious law. His inspiration was the voice of Saint Paul, who said "the just shall live by faith" and pushed for a new theology that alleged salvation was earned through faith, rather than good works and grace through the church (Fiero, 476). He once stated, "I am not afraid, for God's Will will be done, and I rejoice to suffer in so noble a cause" (Luther). His moral system prioritizes not happiness or harmony on Earth, but rather the will of God in Heaven. He did this in a manner that was very down to earth and in a way that people could relate to him. This was not an easy task considering for the last two-hundred years prior the "great synthesis" had developed a unified culture of Church and belief. Fall Semester 2003, Southwest Minnesota State University.
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