An understanding of Dante the theologian as distinct from Dante the poet has been neglected in an appreciation of Dante's work as a whole. That is the starting-point of this vital new book. In giving theology fresh centrality, the author argues that theologians themselves should find, when they turn to Dante Alighieri, a compelling resource: whether they do so as historians of fourteenth-century Christian thought, or as interpreters of the religious issues of our own times. Expertly guiding his readers through the structure and content of the Commedia, Denys Turner reveals – in pacy and muscular prose – how Dante's aim for his masterpiece is to effect what it signifies. It is this quasi-sacramental character that renders it above all a theological treatise: whose meaning is intelligible only through poetry. Turner's Dante 'knows that both poetry and theology are necessary to the essential task and that each without the other is deficient.'

‘Dante the Theologian is a significant, brilliant and illuminating contribution to theological reflection on Dante's Commedia. As such, it can both build on and help strengthen further the growing body of scholarly reflection on the theological dimensions of Dante's work. It presents an unusually compelling combination of depth of content and accessibility of style while offering new insights into Dante's poetry. Its central argument is that a theological analysis that ignores the poetic prevents us from recognizing both the uniqueness of Dante's theological voice and the contribution this can make even today to our theological thinking. Among the most significant contributions of the book are its splendidly incisive highlighting of the theological nature of Dante's poetry as poetry, and its marvellously fruitful treatment of the question of the relationship between fiction and truth. In both respects, Denys Turner's book is a powerful and novel contribution to key debates concerning Dante's work and its theological implications.'

Vittorio Montemaggi - King's College London

‘Dante the Theologian is a significant, brilliant and illuminating contribution to theological reflection on Dante's Commedia. As such, it can both build on and help strengthen further the growing body of scholarly reflection on the theological dimensions of Dante's work. It presents an unusually compelling combination of depth of content and accessibility of style while offering new insights into Dante's poetry.'

Vittorio Montemaggi - King's College London

‘This is a superb book, and will be very welcome. It's written with energy, and a sense of excitement and fun - all qualities which are often lacking in books on Dante. It brings a +avenues for research on and discussion of its subject.'

Matthew Treherne - University of Leeds

'This is an odd and brilliant book. Its brilliance lies in its compelling drawing out of the theology running throughout the whole of the Comedy. Its oddity stems from how it does not fit easily into established academic categories. It cannot be simplistically cataloged as Dante scholarship, or historical theology, or historical reconstruction, nor does it fit neatly under the heading of doctrinal or spiritual theology. This oddity is the book’s best feature. For in its stubborn refusal to fit into tidy academic categories, Turner’s work mirrors Dante’s.'

Source: The Living Church Magazine

‘This volume is a delightful read, explaining the main contours of the Divine Comedy in modern theological terms.’

Alison Cornish Source: Theological Studies

‘This is an odd and brilliant book. Its brilliance lies in its compelling drawing out of the theology running throughout the whole of the Comedy. Its oddity stems from how it does not fit easily into established academic categories. It cannot be simplistically cataloged as Dante scholarship, or historical theology, or historical reconstruction, nor does it fit neatly under the heading of doctrinal or spiritual theology. This oddity is the book’s best feature. For in its stubborn refusal to fit into tidy academic categories, Turner’s work mirrors Dante’s.’

Matthew Rothaus Moser Source: The Living Church

‘[This book] makes a number of inroads for the study and appreciation of a theological Dante. Turner opens up a rich set of possibilities for treating Dante as an authority in thinking and speaking meaningfully about the deepest mysteries of existence. Thanks to Turner, I think, students of medieval theology will undoubtedly be able to find in Dante a true companion in the life of the mind and spirit.’

Stephen Pepper Source: The Heythrop Journal