We are pleased to share a book review by guest writer Joseph Tuttle on Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey.
Vernon, Mark. Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey. Brooklyn, NY: Angelico Press, 2021. 447 pages. Paperback: $22.95/Hardcover: $32.00
In Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey, Mark Vernon presents the reader with a commentary in the 700th year anniversary of Dante’s death in 1321, on each of the cantos in Dante’s work from The Inferno through The Purgatorio culminating in The Paradiso. Each reflection from Vernon is preceded by a beautiful painting or image depicting the scene taking place. Throughout the work, Vernon gives the reader the historical context to some of the situations and experiences Dante finds himself.
Vernon begins by explaining that The Divine Comedy is Dante’s own personal spiritual journey: “His great poem is populated by the characters and crimes that he has encountered and witnessed during his life, as well as by demons, angels, and unexpectedly great-souled saints. But it is simultaneously an inner journey. One of the things Dante will learn is how to navigate his interiority.” (Vernon, 5) It is, however, also about our own spiritual journey as well: Dante invites us to accompany him as he retells the time he was a pilgrim. We can read about what happens to him but must also peer more closely to see how he was transformed. The hope is that, following him aright, we will be transformed too.” (Vernon 5)
The book is divided into three sections. The first section of the book deals with The Inferno. One of the main reasons for Dante’s visit to Hell is to see his own faults in the souls there and to change his life accordingly. Throughout his numerous encounters with souls in Hell, Dante comes to realize that “only genuine yearning can propel people toward purgatory and paradise, because what is desired is what is enjoyed. Love cuts the pathway through life.” (Vernon, 111)
The second section is that of The Purgatorio. Here Dante travels up through Mt. Purgatory to attain the earthly paradise lost by Adam and Eve. Purgatory is drastically different from Hell. Here souls undergo a willing purgation. Vernon emphasizes Dante’s meaning of the term “purgation”: “It can mean a tendency to be rid of, to expel, to reject. However, Dante’s purpose is to become open to life, embracing it all, not to split off aspects of life…so the kind of purging he is introducing is about dismantling barriers that hinder the conscious incorporation of the whole of life into the soul.” (Vernon, 150) Along the way, Dante meets Cato, Statius, and many others. His journey through Purgatory culminates with his “baptism” in the rivers Lethe and Eunoe.
Finally, in the third section, Dante reaches Paradise where he is guided to God through many intercessors including Beatrice, St. Benard, and Mary. Since The Paradiso is by far the most abstract of Dante’s canticles, Vernon’s commentary helps the reader visualize what Dante claims to have seen. Dante’s spiritual journey is now complete. He sees God and yet while looking at Him sees humanity as well: “Within God is the presence of humanity. He sees himself in the light. It is the origin of the sense that, within us, is a divine spark or flame which is our very life.” (Vernon, 440)
Throughout, his commentary, Vernon offers insights into the many mythologies that Dante writes in his story. For the average reader without too much familiarity with these myths, Vernon’s commentary is an invaluable guide. Vernon also discusses many of the scholarly theories surrounding some of the more controversial aspects of The Divine Comedy. The commentary is very readable and accessible to people from all walks of life, not merely academicians. Vernon’s book is a valuable resource for any Dante scholar or any layman wishing to delve deeper into what can be considered the greatest poem in the history of Christianity.
Author Bio – Joseph Tuttle
Catholic freelance writer and author. Has been published with Voyage Comics Blog and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. Author of An Hour With Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (Liguori, 2021). Holds a B.A. in Theology from Benedictine College.
