Very good. It makes me think I need to go over/read that book. Was reminded of it just recently in going over your book, Embracing Grace.

I loved Dante from the time I first read the Inferno and Purgatorio in High School. Since then, I’ve read several translations of the Inferno.
Out of curiosity – did you read the RWB Lewis biography of Dante? I thought it was concise and accessible. As your class on the New Testament did for me it put the man in his social and political context.

Scott, I read Barbara Reynolds’ biography of Dante. Very good I thought.

I read a number of biographies while working on the chapter. I’m part-way through the Reynolds one now and find it very good–and provocative! DOn’t miss her two biographical works on Dorothy Sayers, an important modern translator of Dante. A good short biography of Dante is Peter Hawkins, Dante: A Brief History.

I absolutely LOVE this series and plan to order the book. As a former lit major, I’m glad that Dante made the cut – a nice surprise. Other writers I think of off-hand include Milton, Donne, Bunyan, Eliot, Lewis and oddly enough Tennyson (I always find myself turning to “In Memoriam” and other early modern poems when I’m struggling with religious doubt, as we postmoderns so often do!)

I’m thrilled to see Chris’ book has been published. (and your article about it here) Our Bethel Seminary class read drafts of the book in Chris’ church history class ‘patron saints for postmoderns’ a few years ago – and Dante has been added since then.
It was a rich literary and spiritual experience to study these saints, and encouraged many of us to read further tomes by these authors (I chuckled through ‘Are women human?’ by Sayers, for instance; Newton’s portrayal in the recent ‘Amazing Grace’ movie was surprising after studying him in the class.) Also, I understood mysticism in a new way after studying Margery Kempe…
It will be a great read. (Chris isn’t paying me to say this!)

Rachel,
you might like George Herbert, if you don’t know him already.
I liked Dante when I read him years ago, but haven’t read him since. I did see his tomb, though.
Dana

I do enjoy George Herbert, especially his Easter poems.

OK, I am sold. I am ordering the book as well.