Queer Catholic Book Club

Dante and Beatrice meet the souls of those who could not fulfill their vows on Earth. Nevertheless they enjoy the bliss of heaven! Thank you for excusing our irregular posting schedule during the Christmas season. We...

Beatrice explains the order of Heaven and the spots on the moon. Dante warns - from here on out the poem will only get more difficult. Buckle up - we are in for a bumpy ride. This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

In the final canto of Purgatorio Dante drinks from the spring of Eunoë and is fortified to ascend to the heavens. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...

Beatrice presents the history of the human race up to the time of Dante… no notes given. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Dante confesses his sins to Beatrice and is dragged through the River Lethe by Matelda. With his sins now forgotten he can now see Beatrice’s smile. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...

Virgil vanishes as Beatrice appears leaving Dante with a final reckoning in Purgatorio. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Dante beholds the Mystical Procession of Eden featuring Angels, Elders, Walking Candelabras, and a Chariot pulled by a Griffin. No explanations offered. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...

Atop Mt. Purgatorio Dante meets a maiden in a beautiful garden gathering flowers and singing. Is this an invitation to carnal bliss or something much bigger? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with...

Egged on by the promise of Beatrice, Dante walks through the Fires of Chastity. After this final purgation, Virgil crowns and mitres Dante as an innocent soul free to follow his own pleasures. This is a public episode...

Dante meets his idol Guido Guinizelli in the Terrace of the Lustful only to learn that the greatest modern poet wrote in Provençal not Italian! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...

How does one suffer and how does one transform without a body? Approaching the Terrace of the Lustful Dante learns about the metaphysical mechanics of spiritual purgation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

At the close of the Terrace of Gluttony, Forese points out more repentant gluttons to Dante. Among them is Pope Martin IV who overindulged in eels and wine. The Poet Bonagiunta da Lucca is also there, who praises...

On the Terrace of the Gluttons Dante meets his old friend Forese among many repenting Gluttons. They make amends for the terrible things Dante has said about his wife. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss...

Dante and Virgil encounter an inverted tree that inspires hunger and thirst but don’t you dare touch its fruit or drink from its dew: The Terrace of the Gluttons. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this...

Dante and Virgil meet Statius who explains why Purgatory thunders. Statius is excited to meet his idol Virgil. Note that we have renamed our podcast Queer Catholic Book Club for better clarity and reach. Please review...

Having seen the effects of greed on the papacy, Dante and Virgil meet Hugh Capet and learn how avarice has corrupted monarchs. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

An ominous Siren visits Dante in dream before he meets Pope Adrian V in the fifth terrace. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Virgil’s explanation of how the soul misdirects its love still doesn’t satisfy Dante. But he doesn’t have time to dwell as they enter the Terrace of the Slothful. There they are rushed by racing souls making up for lost...

Leaving the Terrace of the Wrathful is like ascending the misty Alps towards the sun. Dante has visions of people destroyed by their own anger. He is left wondering “Why do souls go astray?” Virgil tries to answer. This...

Marco Lombardo tells us that we can’t blame the stars for human evil. He also says that the church and state must return to their rightful places. As Dante and Virgil continue on, Marco explains that he is not ready to...

Dante and Virgil leave the terrace of the envious to enter the terrace of wrath where they are blinded by peculiar angles of light. An Angel of Mercy guides them on a more gentle path. En route they see visions of Mary...

Dante and Virgil meet Guido del Duca and Rinieri da Calboli talk the degeneracy of Tuscany and compare the Arno to Hell. The problem is simple - people are fixated on things they can’t share. This is a public episode...

This week’s coffee talk is a big long catch up about the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday which coincided with Michael’s surgery and Dexter’s birthday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this...

Dante and Virgil meet the envious repenting. Envy is a sin of vision. Their eyes are sewn shut with wire to prevent further temptation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Dante continues the climb with Virgil. They trample on depictions of Pride punished in biblical and mythological contexts: The Fall of Lucifer, Arachne turned into a spider, The Death of Briareus.. and more! An angel...