The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
PROF. CUNNINGHAM
 DISCUSSES DANTE
Lecture Under the Auspices of
 B'Nai b'Rith
AN APPREClATIVE AUDIENCE
The Venerable Hebrew Society Doing an Important Educational Work. Course of Lectures During
 Fall and Winter.

That we are living in an age of waning religious intolerance was again illustrated last night when Prof. J. B. Cunningham, prineipalof the Birmingham high school, who is a member of the Episcopal com munion, delivered lecture in the Sunday school room of Temple Emanuel before an audience composed almost exclusively of Hebrews, on the subject of ''Dante's Divine Comedy" a work, which, written in the thirteenth century. is redolent, in many respects, of Catholic theology.
 B'Nai 5'Rlth's Good Work.
 Professor Cunningham's address was the first in the course of lectures to be given at intervals of fortnight through out the fall and winter season at Temple Emanuel and under the auspices of B'Nai B Rith. This organization, which was founded sixty-fve years ago, to promote the welfare of newly arrived Jewish im- migrants in America, has constantly waxed in power. until at length it has be- come exceedingly helpful in the social, intellectual and spiritual development of the Hebrew race throughout the union.
 That the work of the BNai B'Rith is highly appreciated by this community was emphatically demonstrated last night by the character of the audience that gathered to listen to Professor Cunning hams discourse.
 After Miss Florence Heinberg had rem dered an effective plano solo and Miss Carrie Ullman, accompanied by Miss Heinberg had sung solo, Dr. Morris | happily introduced the speaker of the evening
 Dante's Philosophy.
 Professor Cunningham, at the outset of his address, explained that his purpose was not to enter upon an especially critical analysis of Dantes maslerplece- its purpose or its art, but rather to re- fate accurately and completely the story of a poem that is one of the distinct glories of literature and to point out that the banished Florentine of the thirteenth century perfectly understood the mind the heart, the imagination and the soul of his fellow beings. and that in the Divine Comedy" he had left a scheme of philosophy which, despite It's mediae- val setting and It's mediaeval cooring, was yet an accurate delineation of human character. It was, he said, a faithful picture of the hopes, plans. purposes and aspirations of the human soul and of the rewards and punishments that inevita- bly, result from human action. To this purpose of his, Professor Cunningham ad- hered unva' yingly throughout his ad- dress; the promise of his introductory re- marks was fulfilled Interestingly and in- structively. He brought Dante home to the minds and consciences of his hearers, and melted In every one in the audience a desire to become more intimately ac- quainted with the subject of his dis course.
 A Pertinent Inquiry.
 When Prof Cunningham had finished speaking, criticism, as is customary in the course of lectures, was invited from the audience. Dr. Samuel Ullman. a former president of the Birmingham Board of Education, awakened consider able interest by inquiring whether or not 1t Is true that Dantes Divine Comedy' was regarded as protest against the orthodox theology of the time and coun- try in which the poet lived In repiy. Prof. Cunningham stated that opinions differed on that point, but that it was generally believed that the theological terms employed in the poem were used for allegorical purposes. and that Dante's philosophy did not perfectly coincide with the religious dogma accepted in the thirteenth century throughout the Chris tlan world.
 vt l., delivered Sunday night December II, by T. Latady of this city. The subject of his address will be An Evening of Poetry"