Dante's Inferno
A Study Guide
When Dante Alighieri wrote his Divine Comedy1 he did not have just one purpose in mind, rather, he wrote a complex masterpiece of theology, philosophy, and politics. Such complexity in one work could hardly have been achieved with the same force or effect had it been written in prose rather than poetry. The complexity of Dante’s purpose was met by the flexibility of his poetic expression and imagination.
Written from c. 1308-1321, the Comedy in many ways reflects the complex religious and political landscape in which Dante lived. The relationship of the Church to the various nations and rulers of Europe made for a unique situation. Outwardly there was a certain kind of commonality across the western world because all the nations thereof were, at least nominally, Christian. The authority of the church and its sway in European politics was arguably at its height during this time. The pope was regarded as the one who held the keys to the kingdom of Christ and could grant or bar admission at his discretion.2 As such the church’s influence over the kings of Europe was strong and the allegiance of many rulers to the church was binding on their personal affairs and plans even when many of those same kings and nations were hostile to one another.
In Italy itself, Dante’s home, there were numerous competing political factions. Dante held strong political convictions and he looked for a political savior to rise up and deliver his own people from the corruption and greed that dominated in the ruling class of his time. Dante saw himself as one concerned for the common good, for the people, rather than for reinforcing the corrupt establishment. One way this is exemplified in the Divine Comedy is in the fact that Dante, though quite competent to write in Latin (the language of scholars), chose to write this work in Italian, the tongue of the common person in his country. He wanted what he had to say to be able to be read by everyone.
Just about 200 years prior to the Protestant Reformation (typically marked at Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church on October 31,1517) it is easy to see glimpses of the doctrinal issues which would soon divide the church. Dante, for instance, declares that the ultimate reason behind Aeneas’ founding the people who would bring forth Rome, unbeknownst to him, was to “set firmly in place…the holy throne where the successor to great Peter sits.” (Canto Two, lines 23-24) The establishment of the papacy being, from his perspective, a part of God’s plan and purpose for the church. Contrarily, the Westminster Confession of Faith (a classic Reformed confession) states, “There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.” (Ch. 25.6)
In addition to matters concerning church hierarchy and authority there are, of course, other matters of disagreement on display. The role of Mary and other saints in the lives of living believers, the doctrine of justification and the finality of Christ’s work on the cross, and many other Protestant vs. Roman Catholic debates find fertile ground for discussion when reading Dante. The very structure of the Divine Comedy invites discussion as Dante, along with his guide Virgil, descend through Hell, then ascend into Purgatory, before Dante is handed over to Beatrice to ascend all the way to Paradise.
In Inferno, specifically, we meet Dante himself recounting an unexpected and amazing journey that he had. The story begins, interestingly, “Midway upon the journey of our life.” Our life, he says, not “my life.” Why? Because in a very real way what Dante means to tell us about is something that is true for all of us. Much like in C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce what we realize as we read Dante is that he is not really telling us about Hell, per se, nor what purgatory would look like, nor again Heaven, he is telling us true things about life right now. The punishments that people are facing in Inferno for their sins are visual illustrations of what the sins that characterize our present lives are actually doing to us, spiritually, at this very moment. Purgatorio, whether you believe such a place exists or not,3 nevertheless teaches us about our need to be sanctified and purified from our sins to see God as he is.
It is not necessary to agree with everything you encounter in a text in order to learn something true and important from it. Christians of every stripe can learn much from Dante’s great works. Even if he merely provides a useful sparring partner for important theological ideas, you’ll find he gives old debates new life and beautiful expression. Often his poetic hand brings light and understanding to that which prose has only made dull and hard to comprehend. If he had only clarified the important debates then he would have done something worthwhile. But he has not only done this, he has also imaginatively written something full of countless “catholic”4 truths to which every Christian should be able to say, “Yes, and amen.”
Below you will find links to each section of the study guide for Dante’s Inferno as they become available. For this study we are using the translation produced by Anthony Esolen. If you would like to pick up a copy of the book to join in the study you may do so by clicking HERE. For a list of other Great Books study guides already available, in development, or planned for the future you can click HERE.
More Coming Soon…
Comedy, in the sense being employed here, means a story where everything turns out well in the end for the protagonist. In the classical tradition of theater and story there were two main categories, tragedy and comedy. The Divine Comedy includes, Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
This idea is derived from Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:13-20. Roman Catholics interpret the text as Jesus calling Peter himself the rock upon which he would build his church. Further they would claim that Christ gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of God (making him the first Pope). Protestants typically interpret the statement of Peter, that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” as the foundation of the church, not Peter personally.
I don’t.
Small “c” catholic. Meaning universal in extent, covering all Christians traditions and not just Roman Catholic.