Ascent to Love

As the unsurpassed Christian epic poem Dante's Divine Comedy provides not only far more personality and emotional depth than the pagan epics it opens up all the issues on which Western history turns-truth beauty goodness sin sanctification and triumph. In this guide Peter J. Leithart brings his rich biblical-typological insight to bear in opening up the Comedy for students high school and up mainly the sort of kids who keep looking for the jokes in the comedy. After examining the meaning and place of the courtly love tradition leading up to Dante the heart of the guide walks us carefully through the craft and symbolisms of each progressive stage-Inferno Purgatorio and Paradiso. Each section contains helpful study questions. Peter J. Leithart (Ph.D. Cambridge) is a Senior Fellow of Theology and Literature at St. Andrews College as well as senior pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow Idaho. In his spare time Leithart sleeps.