老司机视频

Spiritual and intellectual formation has no end date. Thus, at 老司机视频 the reading of Great Books, a collection of classical texts that have guided readers for centuries, does not halt with graduation. More than 200 alumni, staff, and 老司机视频 parents have convened for the University鈥檚 to partake in a group reading of Dante鈥檚 Divine Comedy, from January 21 to April 15, 2026.

, Distinguished Professor of Great Books, is leading each discussion. Mirroring Dante鈥檚 pilgrimage of plumbing to the depths of hell, purification in purgatory, then entering the bliss of paradise鈥攖he literary cohort will journey through the tripart, 100-canto poem consisting of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Composed by the Florentine poet Dante during his political exile from AD 1307 to 1321, The Divine Comedy has remained, for seven centuries, one of the greatest works of the Christian literary imagination. 

鈥淢y goal is that when you hear Dante, you'll think of love,鈥� said Contino as he welcomed Great Books Club participants on the first evening. 鈥淎t the heart of Dante鈥檚 Divine Comedy, the word 鈥榓mor,鈥� meaning love, appears. Often too many people focus on Inferno, but that is only the beginning of Dante鈥檚 pilgrimage. Ultimately the whole story reflects the human telos, our end goal, which is communal beatitude with God and with fellow human beings.鈥�

Contino (top left corner, one to the right) leading a group discussion

Attendee , who was honored as one of her graduating class鈥檚 valedictorians, shares that the curriculum bookended her undergraduate experience. She welcomed the opportunity to return to a program that brought forth and witnessed her personal development. 

鈥淕reat Books was the thread that wove together my experience as a 老司机视频 student,鈥� Alderton says. 鈥淚 had thought this chapter had closed at graduation, but the opportunity to participate in the Great Books Club with Dr. Contino has reminded me of the timelessness of great ideas and great community. It has been such a gift to step into this tradition again鈥攁nd so encouraging to see so many people gathered in pursuit of beauty, truth, and goodness.鈥� 

Since her graduation Stephanie Spanier (鈥�15), has remained in contact with Contino, whom she considers a trusted mentor. She expressed great joy at the opportunity to revisit Dante鈥檚 work in kinship with fellow alumni, especially now working on the East Coast鈥攁 whole six-hour flight away from Malibu. Along with her day job in tech sales, for the last two years Spanier has served as an alumni interviewer. 

鈥淓ach time a prospective student asks me about my time at the University, I mention Great Books as one of the formative experiences that I still reflect on as an adult,鈥� Spanier muses. 鈥淲hile it may appear on the surface that my day-to-day life and work have little connection to the Western canon, I believe the discussions in Great Books planted seeds for the way I continue to think about God, the way I read literature, and the way I engage with humanity as an adult.鈥� 

Chad Qui帽ones, director of Alumni Engagement at Seaver College, shared high praise for the record-breaking attendance of this most previous Great Books Club meeting. The club itself was made possible by a grant from the Apgar Foundation received by , Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books and professor of Great Books and humanities. Qui帽ones observes that such strong alumni engagement represents the community's deep regard for the Great Books program. 

鈥淎s alumni, your connection to 老司机视频 extends far beyond your diploma,鈥� says Qui帽ones. 鈥淭he Great Books Club and Dr. Contino鈥檚 thoughtful exploration of Dante鈥檚 Divine Comedy give our alumni a shared space to reconnect, reflect, and grow together.鈥�

Through monthly Zoom discussions, the group completed its reading of Inferno on January 21, and will be moving along to discuss Purgatorio on . Paradiso will be the subject of the following month鈥檚 meeting on March 18. Then, on April 15, the club will review the Commedia as a whole to reflect on its contemporary significance. 

Please visit PeppLearn to view previous recordings of the Great Books Club鈥檚 Dante Discussions.