Nine masterful essays on Dantes Divine Comedy and his political theology by one of todays leading Italian philosophers.Among todays Italian philosophers Massimo Cacciari is perhaps the most assiduous commentator of Dante. Philosophy Mysticism and the Political collects all of Cacciaris writings on Dante to this day from his masterful analysis of St. Francis of Assisi in Dantes Paradiso and Giottos frescoes to a new consideration of Dantes European idea of empire as a federation of nations peoples and languages. Cacciari does not force Dante into any philosophical straitjacket. Rather he walks with Dante takes notes asks questions raises issues and tries to understand the Divine Comedy in Dantes terms. Cacciari approaches Dantes Ulysses and the theologicophilosophical vertigo of Paradiso not as a critic but from the point of view of a faithful assiduous perceptive sometimes perplexed and sometimes worshipful reader. Cacciaris analysis shows once more that Dante does not belong to the past. Dante creates his own age and stays with us whenever we wish to follow his path.