How can a 14th-century epic poem help modern Christians navigate spiritual dark nights and understand the reality of the afterlife? On Driving Home the Faith, host Dr. Ken Craycraft welcomes his seminary colleague Dr. Bradford Manderfield, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary and School of Theology, to preview his two-part parish lecture series, "Hell: How to Get Through It," hosted at St. Andrew Church in Milford.

Dr. Manderfield explains why approaching Dante's Inferno requires finding a worthy guide—much like Dante chose the ancient poet Virgil—and emphasizes that Hell is fundamentally not a mere physical location, but the terrifying, total absence of Christ. Addressing common intimidations faced by modern readers, Dr. Manderfield advises focusing on the overarching narrative rather than getting bogged down in 14th-century Florentine footnotes, and recommends John Ciardi’s accessible English translation as an ideal entry point into Dante’s spiritual masterpiece. Stream now to listen!