Dante Alighieri: Divine Comedy, Divine Spirituality (The Crossroad Spiritual Legacy Series)

This is a must read for any Christian (Catholic). If reading about what Dante's view of Hell doesn't get you on the straight and narrow, maybe you should rethink your Christianity. This book is very well written and thought provoking.

Great translation for those that prefer easy to read text. My only issue is me being nit picky. In this translation the inscription above the gates of Hell reads ". . . Abandon all hope you who enter here." Instead of ". . . Abandon all hope ye who enter here." That iconic line, to me, should not have been changed. Takes away the awe-inspiring feeling.

Robert Royal has managed to write a book which makes Dante's Divine Comedy not only more understandable for the average reader, but which makes you want to actually read Dante's classic. One of the chief reasons why this is such a good book is that Royal takes Dante's spiritual leanings seriously, unlike some commentators who see Dante as doing mostly political commentary. I recently used Royal's book as I embarked on teaching The Inferno to a high school student I was tutoring. It was an invaluable resource and made things clearer than the notes found in either edition of The Inferno we were using. I am now looking forward to finishing The Divine Comedy myself for the first time, inspired by Robert Royal. Thank you to the author for making this classic accessible for someone who doesn't read Italian, but who does share Dante's Catholic faith.