Biography
Dr Vittorio Montemaggi is the Academic Director at the Notre Dame London Global Gateway and the Director of the Von Hügel Institute.
Prior to his current appointments, Dr Montemaggi was a Reader in Religion, Literature and the Arts in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King’s College London. He previously taught Religion and Literature at the University of Notre Dame; and before that held a Junior Research Fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge and taught Italian literature at the University of Leicester and Theology at the University of Cambridge. He received his training in Theology and Religious Studies and in European Literature while a student at Robinson College, Cambridge, where he is now also a Senior Member.
Research
Vittorio's work focuses primarily on the interdisciplinary intersection of theology and the arts. He has written widely on Dante’s Commedia, and is currently particularly interested in engaging with this text theologically in the light of contemporary concerns with mental health, social justice and inter-religious dialogue. His work also engages with authors as different as Primo Levi, Shakespeare, Roberto Benigni, Catherine of Siena, Duccio and Gregory the Great.
Publications
Key publications:
Books
- DeLorenzo, LJ & Montemaggi, V (eds) 2017, Dante, Mercy and the Beauty of the Human Person. Cascade Books, Eugene, OR.
- Montemaggi, V 2016, Reading Dante's Commedia as Theology: Divinity Realized in Human Encounter. Oxford University Press, New York.
- Montemaggi, V & Treherne, M (eds) 2010, Dante's Commedia: Theology as Poetry. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, IN.
Chapters
- Montemaggi, V 2020, Image as Theology: Praying for Each Other's Good. in M McInroy, C Strine & A Torrance (eds), Image as Theology: The Power of Visual Art in Shaping Christian Thought, Devotion, and Imagination. Brepols.
- Montemaggi, V 2020, Primo Levi e Dante. in G Cinelli & R Gordon (eds), Innesti. Primo Levi e i libri altrui. Peter Lang.
- Montemaggi, V & Sullivan Marcantonio, L 2019, Christ as Turning Point in Dante's _Commedia_. in J Beal (ed.), Illuminating Jesus in the Middle Ages. Brill.
- Montemaggi, V 2017, Encountering Mercy: Dante, Mary and Us. in LJ DeLorenzo & V Montemaggi (eds), Dante, Mercy and the Beauty of the Human Person. Cascade Books, Eugene, OR.
- Montemaggi, V 2015, How to Say ‘Thank You’: Reflecting on the Work of Primo Levi. in E Bugyis & D Newheiser (eds), Desire, Faith, and the Darkness of God: Essays in Honor of Denys Turner. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, IN.
- Montemaggi, V 2015, The Bliss and Abyss and Freedom: Hope, Personhood and Particularity in Inferno 3, Purgatorio 3, Paradiso 3. in G Corbett & H Webb (eds), Cambridge Vertical Readings in Dante’s Comedy, Vol. 1. Open Book Publishers.
- Montemaggi, V 2015, Theology, Literature and Prayer: A Pedagogical Suggestion. in P Hampson, Z Lehman Imfeld & A Milbank (eds), Theology and Literature After Postmodernity. T&T Clark, London.
- Montemaggi, V 2015, ‘E ’n la sua volontade è nostra pace’: Peace, Justice and the Trinity in Dante’s Commedia. in JC Barnes & D O'Connell (eds), War and Peace in Dante. Four Courts Press, for the UCD Foundation for Italian Studies, Dublin.
- Montemaggi, V 2013, Dante and Gregory the Great. in C Honess & M Treherne (eds), Reviewing Dante's Theology. Peter Lang, Oxford.
- Montemaggi, V 2013, The Theology of Dante's Commedia as Seen in the Light of the Cantos of the Heaven of the Fixed Stars. in C Honess & M Treherne (eds), “Se mai contiga…”: Exile, Politics and Theology in Dante. Longo, Ravenna.
- Kirkpatrick, R & Montemaggi, V 2012, Theology and Literature: Reflections on Dante and Shakespeare. in OD Crisp, M Davies, G D'Costa & P Hampson (eds), Christianity and the Disciplines: The Transformation of the University. T&T Clark, London.
- Montemaggi, V 2011, Primo Levi and the Tragedy of Dante’s Ulysses. in K Taylor & G Waller (eds), Christian Theology and Tragedy: Theologians, Tragic Literature and Tragic Theory. Ashgate, London.
- Montemaggi, V & Treherne, M 2010, Introduction: Dante, Poetry, Theology. in V Montemaggi & M Treherne (eds), Dante’s ‘Commedia’: Theology as Poetry. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, IN.
- Montemaggi, V 2010, In Unknowability as Love: The Theology of Dante’s Commedia. in V Montemaggi & M Treherne (eds), Dante's Commedia: Theology as Poetry. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, IN.
- Montemaggi, V 2009, Esempio di carità tra teologia, contemplazione e giustizia: il Pier Damiani del Paradiso di Dante. in GI Gargano & L Saraceno (eds), La “Grammatica di Cristo” di Pier Damiani: Un maestro per il nostro tempo. Il Segno dei Gabrielli, S. Pietro in Cariano (Verona).
- Montemaggi, V 2007, 'La rosa in che il verbo divino carne si fece’: human bodies and truth in the poetic narrative of the Commedia. in J Barnes & J Petrie (eds), Dante and the Human Body. Four Courts Press, for the UCD Foundation for Italian Studies, Dublin.
- Montemaggi, V 2005, “‘Perché non ho scritto la Divina Commedia? Perché non c’ho pensato’: Dante’s Comedy and the Comic Art of Roberto Benigni. in G Russo Bullaro (ed.), Beyond ‘Life is Beautiful’: Comedy and Tragedy in the Cinema of Roberto Benigni. Troubador Publishing Ltd, Leicester.
- Montemaggi, V 2005, 'Di sé medesmo rise’: Gregorio Magno nella Commedia di Dante. in GI Gargano (ed.), L’eredità spirituale di Gregorio Magno tra Occidente e Oriente: Atti del Simposio Internazionale “Gregorio Magno 604-2004”, Roma, 10-12 marzo 2004. Il Segno dei Gabrielli, S. Pietro a Cariano (Verona).
Articles
- Montemaggi, V 2021, 'Paradiso 28: Smiling Truth', Le tre corone, vol. 8, pp. 99-118.
- Montemaggi, V 2020, 'Love, Ideology and Inter-religious Relations in the Commedia', Dante Studies, vol. 137, pp. 197-209.
- Montemaggi, V 2017, 'Dante's Theology', Concilium, vol. 2017/5.
- Montemaggi, V 2017, ''Speak again’: Life, Love and Language in King Lear', Modern Believing, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 123-130. https://doi.org/10.3828/mb.2017.10
- Montemaggi, V 2017, 'Il testo, la persona, Dio: riflessioni teologiche sullo scaleo del cielo di Saturno', Studi di Erudizione e di Filologia Italiiana, vol. 6, pp. 63-74.
- Montemaggi, V 2014, 'Forgiveness, Prayer and the Meaning of Poetry', Literature Compass, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 139-147. https://doi.org/10.1111/lic3.12124
- Montemaggi, V & Schwartz, R 2014, 'On Religion and Literature: Truth, Beauty, and the Good', Religion & Literature, vol. 46, no. 2-3, pp. 111-127.
- Montemaggi, V 2013, 'Charity, Contemplation and Creation ex nihilo in Dante's Commedia', Modern Theology, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 62.
- Montemaggi, V 2009, 'Love, Forgiveness and Meaning: On the Relationship Between Theological and Literary Reflection', Religion & Literature, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 79-86.
Public Media Engagement
- Berkley Forum: "Dante, Hell and Human Encounter", 12 October 2021.
- BBC Radio 4 Broadcast: "Dante 2021 - Episode 3", 21 September 2021.
- BBC World Service: "Dante's Inferno: The Poetry of Hell", 27 Febnruary 2018.
@VonHugel
YouTube