Abstract:
Placing the words Comedy and Africa in the same sentence, is like laying claim to two
expansive and complex entities which do not immediately bear relation to another and
yet, there is ample opportunity for engagement. The article begins by showing how
a young South African’s reading of the Divine Comedy through the lens of her own
preoccupation with the body and its theo-performative demeanour can bring fresh
perspectives to the fore. A primary instance of the intersection between the body, God
and theological performance is the Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh’s interpretation
of Inferno, canto xx. Muluneh’s performative expression transforms the scope and
meaning of tears in the Comedy by bringing to bear her own particularity. Here, tears
become central in unveiling the truth that the Comedy speaks. The article explores the
significant role that gestures have in giving form to the Divine Comedy. As the logic
of relationality, love forms the spine of this article while drawing together the themes
of creation and incarnation. The article ends by suggesting that if one has a proper
understanding of the relationship between humans and the created order, one might
find a theology from below latent in the Comedy.
