Is the Divine Comedy/Dante's Inferno biblically accurate?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Dante’s Inferno is an epic medieval poem that imaginatively depicts the poet Dante’s journey through Hell, portraying sin, judgment, and divine justice through vivid symbolism. While some assume Dante Alighieri’s fourteenth-century poem The Divine Comedy is based on Scripture, the Bible was only one of many sources for his work. Besides the Bible, The Divine Comedy mixes mythology, tradition, Catholic theology, some Islamic writings, and the author’s imagination. As a work of fiction, it was not intended as a completely accurate depiction of the afterlife but rather, a work of art discussing the afterlife.

The Bible, mainly the New Testament, teaches that heaven and hell exist (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31), which coincides with those two places in Dante's Divine Comedy. The Bible also implies varying degrees of heavenly rewards for the saved and degrees of punishments for the unsaved (1 Corinthians 3:12-14; Matthew 10:15; Luke 10:14; Revelation 20:13-14). But whereas Scripture teaches that Jesus alone saves us, not our works, Dante’s imaginative account presents a works-based salvation (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:8-9). Dante’s poem also portrays purgatory, which Scripture does not teach. The Bible points to one judgement after death, with the result being eternity in heaven or hell (Hebrews 9:27; Daniel 12:2; Luke 16:19-31). Though believers can appreciate Dante’s artistic imagination, the Bible alone contains the truth about the afterlife that God has revealed to humanity.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament does not speak of heaven or hell as frequently as the New Testament, but it refers many times to sheol, which denotes the realm of the dead. Some Old Testament passages, such as Psalm 9:17, describe “the wicked” as going to sheol.
• Daniel 12:2 describes the two destinations on Judgement Day: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Unlike Dante’s Divine Comedy, the Bible teaches our ultimate end as two choices only: heaven or hell, not purgatory too.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Dante’s “Purgatorio” presents a third afterlife destination as purgatory. But in the account of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus presented only two options after this life that are based on how one responds to Him during this life: Abraham’s bosom (heaven) or hades (hell) (Luke 16:19-31).
• Further, Hebrews 9:27 says, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Despite Dante’s depiction of purgatory as a sort of waiting place where the dead can progress to heaven, the Bible teaches that there is no chance for salvation after death.
• Dante’s “Inferno” explicitly describes levels of hell. The Bible does not, but the idea of different punishments in hell based on one’s deeds during life is found in the New Testament. Revelation speaks of all those condemned to hell being thrown into the “lake of fire,” but being judged beforehand “according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:13-14).
• This concept is also found in some of Jesus’ words. In condemning the unrepentant cities of Bethsaida and Chorizan, Jesus says, “But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you” (Luke 10:14). Jesus uses a similar comparison in His words for those who reject the Gospel: “Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town” (Matthew 10:15). So, the New Testament does imply different levels of punishment in hell, though Dante’s descriptions in “Inferno” are pure fiction.
• Dante also presents levels of heaven where occupants can mature from one level to another and get progressively closer to God. That teaching is unbiblical. Paul writes of the foundation of salvation being in Christ alone (1 Corinthians 3:11: Ephesians 2:8-9). However, he notes that the saved “[build] on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw”---items of varying value (1 Corinthians 3:12). This implies that our works garner rewards in heaven—not salvation (which is through God’s grace alone), but rewards. The subsequent verses in 1 Corinthians 3 suggest degrees of reward in heaven: “If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (vv. 13-14).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Tongue-in-cheek, that line has been used to describe the workplace, a grueling class, or even the DMV. But its author didn’t intend it to be funny or sarcastic, despite the “comedy” in the title of the poem it comes from (which meant something different at the time). Instead, Dante used that line as a terrifying warning to those at the entrance to hell.

Though written more than seven hundred years ago, Dante's Divine Comedy has endured as one of the most popular pieces of Italian literature from the medieval period. Dante writes in first person narrative about three realms where the dead dwell in the afterlife: heaven, hell, and purgatory (based on popular Roman Catholic teachings of his time).

Believers today can enjoy Dante’s poem as they would any fictional work. But we should always keep in mind that hell is a real place for those who reject Christ as Savior. And as horrific as Dante painted hell, being separated from God’s goodness and grace for eternity is even more frightening. That’s why today is the day to share the good news about Christ to someone you know or even a stranger you’re chatting with in the course of your day. Unlike Dante’s purgatory, there are no second chances, which makes telling others about Christ now so pressing.

UNDERSTAND

• Dante’s Divine Comedy is a work of fiction that adheres to some biblical teachings but also presents unbiblical depictions of the afterlife.
• Dante’s Purgatorio describes a place where the dead get a second chance to go to heaven, but the Bible presents no such place.
• Dante depicts different levels of heaven and hell, and the Bible also teaches varying rewards in heaven and punishments in hell.

REFLECT

• Regarding fictional works that draw on the Bible, how do you ensure you aren’t misled by unbiblical teaching?
• Where have you seen fictional or traditional ideas subtly shape your understanding of biblical truths?
• How does knowing that salvation is by grace alone—not works—affect the way you live and share your faith?

ENGAGE

• How can we help each other appreciate classic literature like Dante’s Inferno without confusing artistic imagination with biblical truth?
• Where do we see modern Christians influenced more by cultural depictions of the afterlife than by Scripture?
• How can we graciously engage conversations with others who hold unbiblical views of purgatory or works-based salvation, pointing them to Christ alone?