Expert: Jim Miller - 10/27/2010

Question
I recently read a book called "My Visit to Hell" by Paul Thigpen, which is based on Dante's "Inferno". Is any of the information about hell in this book justified biblically? If so, what? A good friend of mine is a youth pastor and wants to do a lesson series based on this and I need to know if it is justified, or if not, if there is any way he could still put it in a message.

Answer
I am not aware of the existence of the book, so I cannot comment on it.
Dante's Inferno is based on Virgil's Aeneid, which is why Virgil is Dante's guide through the Inferno.  The visit to Hell in Virgil's Aeneid is based on the visit of Odysseos to Hades in the Odyssey.  Neither the Odyssey nor the Aeneid are in the Bible, and I don't expect this book to be particularly Biblical, though I could be wrong.  After all, I haven't read it.
Jim Miller