Purgatorio: Acedia and Avarice (Cantos 18-22) with Dr. Sarah Berry

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Sarah Berry of the University of Dallas discuss Acedia, Avarice, and part of Gluttony in Cantos 18-22 of the Purgatorio.Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information!Check out our GUIDE to the Purgatorio!Dr. Sarah Berry joins Deacon Harrison Garlick to explore Cantos 18–22, covering the terrace of sloth (acedia) and the transition into avarice and prodigality. In Canto 18, Virgil delivers a pivotal discourse on love as the root of all human action, explaining that love can be misdirected (pride, envy, wrath), deficient (sloth), or excessive (avarice, gluttony, lust). Berry emphasizes the terrace’s brevity and lack of a formal prayer: “their prayers are their action... the penitents too... are doing the thing as a way of offering up some kind of prayer to God” (Dr. Sarah Berry), with running souls and examples of zeal (Mary’s haste to Elizabeth, Caesar’s swift march) countering sloth’s cooling of love. The dream of the siren in Canto 19 warns against deceptive earthly goods, while the face-down penance on the avarice terrace forces fixation on the earth once loved excessively: “these are those who had a disordered love of money... goods that can’t be shared” (Dr. Sarah Berry).Cantos 20–22 deepen the exploration of avarice’s societal and personal consequences. Hugh Capet’s lament in Canto 20 indicts the French dynasty’s greed and sacrilege, including the capture of Boniface VIII. Berry highlights the terrace’s broadened scope: “Dante is really broadening... our awareness of this constellation of problems” beyond mere hoarding or spending. In Canto 21, Statius is released with an earthquake and song, explaining his long purgation on sloth and avarice before moving freely upward. Canto 22 poignantly contrasts Statius (saved through Virgil’s influence and grace) with Virgil himself, who lacks faith despite his virtues. Berry notes the tragedy: “Dante is inviting us... hoping that there is some special providence for Virgil at the end of his journey through purgatory” (Dr. Sarah Berry). The cantos reveal Purgatorio’s hopeful, dynamic nature: purgation reorders love through grace, habituation, and contemplation, moving from deficient to excessive attachments, preparing the soul for divine union.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Ascend and Dante's Purgatorio02:29 Exploring Dante's Purgatorio: Themes and Structure04:30 The Importance of Purgatorio in Spiritual Growth08:32 Understanding Love and Culpability in Purgatorio12:00 Diving into Canto 18: The Lesson on Love13:26 Virgil's Discourse on Love and Free Will17:40 The Nature of Love: Ascent and Culpability20:31 The Role of Reason in Human Actions26:01 The Formation of Intellect and Will33:12 Contrapasso: The Penance of Slothfulness40:19 Examples of Zeal: Mary and Caesar42:17 Understanding Zeal and Sloth47:04 The Subtlety of Sin and Human Effort52:31 Dreams and Allegory in Purgatory01:00:27 The Nature of Prayer and Action01:01:58 Exploring Avarice and Its Consequences01:20:15 Exploring Dante's Inferno: Sin and Intellect01:23:03 Wrath and Sloth: Roots of Sin in Purgatorio01:25:23 Positive Examples: Virtue Against Avarice01:29:30 Dante's Critique of French Dynasties01:35:56 The Role of Statius: A New Perspective01:50:30 Virgil's Tragic Journey: Hope for Salvation?KeywordsDante's Purgatorio, Sloth, Love, Virtue, Spiritual Growth, Theology, Literature, Dante, Purgatory, Christian Virtues Dante, Purgatorio, allegory, sin, virtue, divine justice, theology, Mount Purgatory, purgation, salvation