After Lives by
Christianity from its earliest times taught the existence of heaven and hell as places where good and evil deeds in this life were judged, rewarded and punished. In the course of time ideas both of promised bliss and threatened woe went beyond anything than can have a purchase on human experience. Nevertheless, in their most developed form, doctrines of heaven and hell were explorations of moral psychology, as seen in their greatest imaginative expression, Dante's Divine Comedy. The present book explores and comments on ideas about post-mortem existence from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Israel, Greece and Rome, as well as in Christianity and (more briefly) Islam. Having traced the early history, growth, and refinement of these ideas over five millennia, it ends with the discordant voices of spiritualism, liberal theology, Mormonism, Evangelical Christian preachers of Rapture and Armageddon, modern Muslim apocalyptics, and Coptic visions of the Last Days. In a Prologue and an Epilogue the ironic treatment of some of these themes in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce is evoked to set them in a context of modernity.
Biblical Eschatology, Second Edition by
Biblical Eschatology provides what is not found in any other single volume on eschatology: it analyzes all the major eschatological passages (including the Olivet Discourse and the book of Revelation), issues (including the second coming of Christ, the millennium, the rapture, and Antichrist), and positions (including all the major views of the millennium) in a clear, but not superficial, way. The book concludes with a chapter showing how eschatology is relevant for our lives. Biblical Eschatology makes understanding eschatology easier by including chapters on how to interpret prophecy and apocalyptic literature, by showing the history of eschatological thought, and by placing eschatology in the context of the Bible's overall story line and structure. Clarity and understanding are enhanced by the use of comparative tables and appendices. Subject and Scripture indexes are included. The book interacts with the best of Evangelical and Reformed scholarship, and the extensive bibliography (which includes the web addresses of many online resources) provides an excellent source for the reader's further study. This is a perfect resource for intelligent Christians, including pastors, students, and teachers, who desire to understand eschatology and to see how it fits together with the rest of the Bible.
A Brief History of Heaven by
This engaging book by one of today's best-known Christian writers explores the history of heaven, from its origins in biblical writings to its most recent representations. A short, accessible book on the history of heaven. Draws together representations of heaven by a wide range of writers, theologians, politicians and artists. Covers literary works such as Dante's Divine Comedy, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and the poems of George Herbert. Considers discussions by Marx and Freud of heaven's role in society. Based on serious scholarship but is ideal for the non-specialist who wants to learn more about the idea of heaven. Alister E. McGrath is one of today's best-known Christian writers.
Christ Our Hope by
Christ Our Hope is a masterful reflection on Christian eschatology, in a textbook of twelve accessible chapters.
The Early History of Heaven by
When we think of'heaven,'we generally conjure up positive, blissful images. Heaven is, after all, where God is and where good people go after death to receive their reward. But how and why did Western cultures come to imagine the heavenly realm in such terms? Why is heaven usually thought to be'up there,'far beyond the visible sky? And what is the source of the idea that the post mortem abode of the righteous is in this heavenly realm with God? Seeking to discover the roots of these familiar notions, this volume traces the backgrounds, origin, and development of early Jewish and Christian speculation about the heavenly realm -- where it is, what it looks like, and who its inhabitants are. Wright begins his study with an examination of the beliefs of ancient Israel's neighbors Egypt and Mesopotamia, reconstructing the intellectual context in which the earliest biblical images of heaven arose. A detailed analysis of the Hebrew biblical texts themselves then reveals that the Israelites were deeply influenced by images drawn from the surrounding cultures. Wright goes on to examine Persian and Greco-Roman beliefs, thus setting the stage for his consideration of early Jewish and Christian images, which he shows to have been formed in the struggle to integrate traditional biblical imagery with the newer Hellenistic ideas about the cosmos. In a final chapter Wright offers a brief survey of how later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions envisioned the heavenly realms. Accessible to a wide range of readers, this provocative book will interest anyone who is curious about the origins of this extraordinarily pervasive and influential idea.
Essential Eschatology by
The study of end times often gets bogged down in minutiae that rarely affects daily life. Or we find ourselves passively waiting for God's future, Avoiding both of these traps, Essential Eschatology gets to the heart of the matter by examining how the Christian hope and practice of resurrection affects Christian mission and everyday life. Author John Phelan notes,'Eschatology is not about the end only but the beginning and middle of faith and life as well. Christianity…is eschatological to its core.'Raised with Christ, Jesus'followers are called to practice resurrection, which reshapes relationships with our families, our neighbors and the world at large.'All that is anticipated in the new heavens and the new earth is to be lived out in the Christian community—a community that has already died and been raised with Christ.'This creates within the world a unique community hope. Essential Eschatology explores Christian hope in relation to the failure of modernismliving in the midst of empirethe resurrection and judgmentthe kingdom of God and Christian missionthe return of Jesus and the millenniumGod's promises to Israel In Essential Eschatology professors, students and pastors will find a sure guide in a frequently misunderstood and often confusing theological landscape. With the thoroughly biblical perspective found in this book, we discover the future spilling into the present.
Heaven, Hell, ... and Purgatory? by
What is our destiny? The final end of humanity and the universe is a subject of perennial interest, especially for Christians. What are we promised? Will anyone finally be left out of God's intentions to bless humanity? What sort of transformation will be needed to enter the presence of God? These questions have been at the heart of Christian teachings about last things. The 2013 Pro Ecclesia Conference of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology focused such issues on the theme'Heaven, Hell... and Purgatory?'The six essays in this volume cover a range of topics of interest to Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox theology.
Heaven on Earth? by
This collection assembles essays by eleven leading Catholic and evangelical theologians in an ecumenical discussion of the benefits - and potential drawbacks - of today's burgeoning corpus of theological interpretation. The authors explore the critical relationship between the earthly world and its heavenly counterpart. Ground-breaking volume of ecumenical debate featuring Catholic and evangelical theologians Explores the core theological issue of how the material and spiritual worlds interrelate Features a diversity of analytical approaches Addresses an urgent need to distinguish the positive and problematic aspects of today's rapidly growing corpus of theological interpretation
Jesus, the Prophets, and the End of the World by
The Old Testament prophets and their writings were hugely instrumental in the formation of the second temple eschatology, so an appreciation of the Old Testament prophetic literature greatly helps us in understanding the life and ministry of Jesus and the rationale of the early church. Israel's story of divine election lay at the core of their identity as a nation and people, constantly reinforced in the religious practices and rituals that made up their lives. That story, by the time of Jesus, was heavily influenced by the eschatological expectations created by the prophets. The people of Israel expected, looked for, and waited for God's intervention in their history and in their lives once again as he had intervened in the past. The eschatological message of the prophets focused on two themes, the kingdom of God and the day of the Lord. The first theme largely found its fulfillment in the coming of Jesus and the birth of the church, though it awaits his return for its culmination. The book of Revelation presents an unfolding of the second theme, the day of the Lord. This forms the common theme in the prophets of God's final and culminating act of righteousness and justice in this age.
The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology by
This book provides an important critical survey of eschatology from a variety of perspectives—biblical, historical, theological, philosophical, and cultural. Eschatology is the study of the last things—death, judgment, the afterlife, and the end of the world. Through centuries of Christian thought, from the early Church fathers through the Middle Ages and the Reformation, these issues were of the utmost importance. In other religions, eschatological concerns were also central. After the Enlightenment, many religious thinkers began to downplay the importance of eschatology which, in light of rationalism, came to be seen as something of an embarrassment. The twentieth century, however, saw the rise of phenomena that placed eschatology back at the forefront of religious thought. From the rapid expansion of fundamentalist forms of Christianity, with their focus on the end times, to the proliferation of apocalyptic new religious movements, to the recent (and very public) debates about suicide, martyrdom, and paradise in Islam, interest in eschatology is once again on the rise. In addition to its popular resurgence, in recent years some of the world's most important theologians have returned eschatology to its former position of prominence.
Answers to Common Questions about Heaven and Eternity by
Introducing a new series of quick reference guides that answer the most-asked questions about the Christian faith. Book previously published as What the Bible Teaches About Heaven & Eternity.
Dust Bound for Heaven by
In Dust Bound for Heaven Reinhard Hütter shows how Thomas Aquinas's view of the human being as dust bound for heaven weaves together elements of two questions without fusion or reduction. Does humanity still have an insatiable thirst for God that sends each person on an irrepressible religious quest that only the vision of God can quench? Or must the human being, living after the fall, become a "new creation" in order to be readied for heaven?Hütter also applies Thomas's anthropology to a host of pressing contemporary concerns, including the modern crisis of faith and reason, political theology, the relationship between divine grace and human freedom, and many more. The concluding chapter explores the Christological center of Thomas's theology.
Heaven by
Our culture has a lot to say about heaven. But too much of it is based more on imaginative speculation or “supernatural” experiences than on the Bible itself. In the latest addition to the Theology in Community series, Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson have assembled an interdisciplinary team of evangelical scholars to explore the doctrine of heaven from a variety of angles. Among other contributors, Ray Ortlund examines the concept of heaven in the Old Testament, Gerald Bray explores the history of theological reflection about heaven, and Ajith Fernando looks at persecuted saints’ special relationship to heaven in the New Testament. This team of first-rate scholars offers modern readers a comprehensive overview of this often misunderstood topic―shedding biblical light on the eternal hope of all Christians. Part of the Theology in Community series.
Heaven by
Summary: "For nearly twenty-five years, HEAVEN has inspired us to live well on earth, even as we long for eternity. Drawing on Scripture, Joni Eareckson Tada answers the deepest questions of our hearts about what heaven will be like, who we will see there, and who we will be there. As Joni writes in this updated and expanded edition, she is much closer to heaven than she was when she first wrote about it. It is from this vantage point that she reflects on how we can live for Jesus as we look forward to our real home. A quadriplegic for more than fifty years and a cancer survivor, Joni doesn't speak lightly when she reminds us that "God knows the precise tools to use in your life to cut, cleanse, and refine the diamond that is your eternal soul...Every good thing that God has ever given will last for all eternity--including the best part of every affliction" Journey with Joni into the knowledge and the mysteries of heaven, a place that is so inexorably captivating and utterly desirable that it is worth living every day in its light."--back cover.
Heaven and Hell: Are They Real? by
Summary: "It can be said that the words 'heaven" and 'hell" are thrown around flippantly these days. It seems they have become part of our vernacular without much thought or concern about what they really mean. The reality of heaven and hell is a hotly-debated topic spurring countless conversations, books, and sermons. It's fashionable to have an opinion about the reality of heaven and hell, but what does the Bible really say? Heaven and Hell: Are They Real? discusses what Scripture really says about these mysterious places, giving you real, solid, reliable information. The book includes scripture quotes that capture the current interest in the reality of heaven and hell, while offering readings on heaven and hell. Also included are quotes and insights from trusted authors including Billy Graham, Randy Alcorn, C.S. Lewis, and more. For the curious reader looking for more information on heaven and hell, Heaven and Hell: Are they Real? is the perfect choice"--Page 4 of cover.
Heaven and the Afterlife by
Get ready for life after death. Combining three books that together have sold nearly 1 million copies, Heaven and the Afterlife gives you Erwin Lutzer’s best reflections on eternity and what it means for you today. The trilogy includes: 1. One Minute After You Die. A simple and moving explanation of what the Bible teaches about death, this book makes you consider a sobering truth: one minute after you die, your life will not be over. Rather, it will be just beginning—in a place of unimaginable bliss or indescribable gloom. Are you ready for that moment? 2. How You Can Be Sure You Will Spend Eternity with Godsummarizes the Bible’s teaching on salvation, answering questions like, “What role do I play in my own salvation? Can I lose my salvation if I commit a serious sin? What if I doubt that I’m saved?” 3. Your Eternal Rewards. This book explores the often-overlooked Scriptures about reward and judgment for Christians, answering questions like, “How will believers be judged? Do rewards for faithfulness vary? If heaven is perfect, why do rewards even matter?” Together these books will help you live faithfully today, readying you for that final hour when you meet your Maker.
Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell by
The question of the afterlife is, for many today, one of preference. Christians trained to evangelize unsaved people with the query, “If you were to die today, do you know where you would go – heaven or hell?” have grown befuddled when met with the response, “I don’t believe in heaven or hell.” Something in our culture has changed. The ground has shifted beneath our feet. We did not feel it. But change has come, just the same. We must reacquaint modern Christians with the eschatologically driven preaching and teaching of Edwards. This word “eschatological” may trip some readers up at first encounter, but it refers simply to “last things”, things of eternity and ultimate significance. We exhume Edwards' scripturally fired material on the reality of the afterlife, the terror of hell, the glories of heaven, and the shape life must take in light of these realities. If we accept the Word as our authority, and if we will allow Edwards to serve as our faithful and imaginative guide, we will find that God is alive. He is Lord of heaven and earth, the sovereign ruler of all Creation. He is not small. He can be found. He is not silent on the afterlife, and His testimony calls for our attention, our concern, and our whole-hearted worship and trust. Easily accessible and readable, you do not need to be a scholar to enjoy these insights about Jonathan Edwards and his writings.
A New Heaven and a New Earth by
Summary: In recent years, more and more Christians have come to appreciate the Bible's teaching that the ultimate blessed hope for the believer is not an otherworldly heaven; instead, it is full-bodied participation in a new heaven and a new earth brought into fullness through the coming of God's kingdom. Drawing on the full sweep of the biblical narrative, J. Richard Middleton unpacks key Old Testament and New Testament texts to make a case for the new earth as the appropriate Christian hope. He suggests its ethical and ecclesial implications, exploring the difference a holistic eschatology can make for living in a broken world.
A Place Called Heaven by
Summary: "If any of us learned we were going to move to a foreign country, we'd do everything we could to learn about that place so that we'd be prepared when moving day arrived. As Christians, we know some day we will leave our familiar country and be united with God in heaven. And yet many of us know very little about this place called heaven. In this enlightening book, bestselling author Dr. Robert Jeffress opens the Scriptures to unpack ten surprising truths about heaven and explain who we will see there and how we can prepare to go there someday. Perfect for believers or skeptics who are curious about heaven."--Bookdepository.com.
Preparing for Heaven by
Summary: "In Preparing for Heaven Black reveals not only Willard's profound and liberating vision of life after death, he also deftly unpacks the implications these realities hold for our lives today. Black shows how Willard understood our mortal lives as preparation for what comes next--that death is not the end of one life and the beginning of another, but rather a transition through which we continue the transformational work begun on Earth. Informative, challenging, and poignant, Willard and Black's conversations and insights challenge us to reconsider our beliefs--that perhaps the line separating the afterlife from this life is not as absolute as we think, and that there is work to be done both now and in the glorious life to come. As a result we will find that our faith is more vibrant--and eternal--than we have dared to imagine."--Chaptersgroup.com.