Lust, Flattery, and the Icy Depths of Hell: Lenten Dante Series, No. 3 (Ep. 24)

Not that we've made our way through the Gates of Hell, today in our Lenten Dante Series we consider with Dante and Virgil the chosen fate of the denizens of the Inferno. This also happens to be a way for us to face, uncomfortably, the hellish tendencies hiding within ourselves.

More specifically, in this episode we visit those characterized by their attachment to carnal sins--sins of the flesh--especially those swept along by their lust. We then move downward, looking at those more serious sins of the will, in particular those of flattery, manipulation, and treachery.

This all takes us down to the very depths of Hell. To the icy sea devoid of love, movement, and hope. Here resides the Emperor of the Inferno, forever weeping, forever gnawing on those three famous traitors, Brutus, Cassius, and Judas.

Fear not, though, after having undergone the downward spiral of Hell, we're now ready to ascend Mount Purgatory, buoyed by hope and desire. But that's for next episode.

My companion for this trip is Paul Camacho, who is Associate Director of the Augustinian Institute and Assistant Teaching Professor in the Augustine and Culture Seminar at Villanova University.  He also writes a weekly newsletter, "Will This Be On the Exam?" which is well worth the read. 

If you have any questions or comments you'd like us to address in a future recording in this series, please send your thoughts along to [e-mail]

Links:

1. The Inferno by Dante, a verse translation by Jean Hollander and Robert Hollander
2. The Digital Dante from Columbia University
3. Lenten Dante Series, No. 1
4. Lenten Dante Series, No. 2
5. www.paulcamacho.com
6. "Will This Be On the Exam?"

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