Peerawat Chiaranunt

Background:

My formation in the humanities began through the ‘Great Books’ curriculum at St. John’s College (Santa Fe, NM), where I earned my bachelor’s in 2017. I then proceeded to postgraduate studies, first at Yale Divinity School (M.A.R., Religion & Literature, 2019), then at the University of Notre Dame (M.A., Italian, 2021).

Research:

My DPhil thesis investigates the concept of ‘nature’ as a transpecific, universal entity in the physical world-system or cosmology of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). Taking as a point of departure the poet’s identification of ‘nature’ with the material heavens, it explores his account of the genesis and causality of the celestial bodies, his doctrine of ‘universal nature’, and his understanding of preternatural or supernatural occurrences, such as divine providence and miracles.

In addition to the literary reception of scholastic philosophy and theology, I also cultivate interests in the broader history of Neoplatonism, the intellectual culture of the Italian Renaissance/Baroque, and the premodern dialogue between reason and faith.

My activities as a doctoral student at Oxford would not be possible were it not for the generosity of the Clarendon Fund and the Bounden Scholarship at Jesus College.

Publications:

“Inferno 7: Virgilian Genesis,” in Le tre corone IX (2022), 107-126.

Presentations:

“L’emergere della terra abitabile secondo il Dottrinale di Iacopo Alighieri,” Alma Dante Congresso Dantesco Internazionale, Ravenna (May 17-20, 2023)

“Natural Philosophy and Theology in Convivio IV.21 and the Quaestio,” Leeds International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds (July 5-7, 2022)

“Sì come l’occhio debole al sole: Variations of a Scholastic Topos,” Annual Dante Workshop, Rome Global Gateway, University of Notre Dame (May 11-13, 2022)

“The Hexameron from Brunetto to Dante,” A Centenary Celebration of New Voices in UK and Irish Dante Studies, Universities of Cambridge and Oxford (November 12-13, 2021)

“Monteverdi’s Canzoniere: The Petrarchan Framework of the Selva morale et spirituale,” Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium, Yale University (November 28, 2018)

Panel Organisations:

[with Rebecca Bowen] “Esegesi artistica. Ricezioni poetiche e visive di Dante nei secoli XIV-XV,” Alma Dante Congresso Dantesco Internazionale, Ravenna (May 17-20, 2023)