Episode 31: Walking with Dante: Louis Markos on the Poet’s Cosmic Imagination

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, scholar Louis Markos joins host Jesse Hake to discuss his upcoming ClassicalU course, and forthcoming companion book on Dante’s Divine Comedy. Markos explores Dante’s visionary architecture of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, not merely as allegory, but as a deeply experiential and spiritually transformative journey. Sharing his creative process for writing in Dante’s voice, he reflects on the beauty of the medieval cosmological model and its resonance with Christian truths, classical education, and even contemporary longing for spiritual depth. The episode dives into topics such as hierarchy, theosis, pilgrimage, classical myth, and the enduring influence of Dante on C. S. Lewis and modern Christian imagination. Listeners will also hear practical encouragement for teaching Dante, including translation tips, thematic frameworks, and connections to Lewis’s Great Divorce and Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Whether you’re new to Dante or a seasoned reader, this episode offers a compelling invitation to walk with the poet through realms of sin, repentance, and divine glory. Other ClassicalU course mentioned is Myth Made Fact.

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