Divina Commedia is a didactic poem, according to Dante, concerned with civic morality. Thought of that while reading Keith Ward again on coffee break (Religion and Community). I've mentioned this author before - in my opinion, a great Anglican theologian and philosopher. Tremendous insight, and clarity of presentation, of old and basic issues. Ward was writing about "natural law", and the conjunctions & differences between how a "naturalist" and a "theist" might understand it. (Natural law being an expression of the normative or the common good.) So this made me think of what Dante was doing.

(Ward is so good, in a good old Anglican way, at seeing patterns of mercy, wisdom and humanity - rather than scriptural absolutism (literalism) or dogmatism - within, underneath, or around the edges of ancient tradition.)

Also, was ordering a bunch of Italian books this morning. Just hearing the sound of that language is like sunshine.