A Brief History of Heaven / Edition 1

by Alister E. McGrath

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780631233541
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	02/04/2003
Series:	Wiley Blackwell Brief Histories of Religion , #12
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	4.80(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Alister E. McGrath isProfessor of Historical Theology at Oxford University, and Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He is the author of numerous best-selling books, including The Future of Christianity, Christian Theology: An Introduction, 3rd edition, and In The Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations viii

Preface ix

1 The City: The New Jerusalem 1

Images and the Christian Faith 2

The City of Jerusalem in the Old Testament 7

The City of Jerusalem in the New Testament 10

Augustine of Hippo on the Two Cities 13

The Heavenly City and Medieval Spirituality 17

Pearl and the New Jerusalem 25

John Bunyan’s Heavenly City 29

The Shape of the Heavenly Body 33

2 The Garden: Heaven as Paradise 39

The Quest for the Garden of Eden 41

Paradise in the Bible 43

Early Christian Views of Paradise 47

The Millennium as Paradise 52

Medieval Visions of Paradise 54

Dante’s Divine Comedy 58

Paradise and the Enclosed Garden 65

Heaven as the Restoration of Eden 70

3 Opening the Gates of Heaven: Atonement and Paradise 75

Christ the Victor 79

Christ the Hero 83

Christ the Harrower of Hell 88

Christ the Redeemer: Atonement as Satisfaction 94

Christ the Lover: Atonement and the Enkindling of Love 96

The Institutionalization of Atonement: The Church as the Gateway to Heaven 101

The Privatization of Atonement: Personal Faith as the Gateway to Heaven 106

4 The Signposting of Heaven: Signals of Transcendence 111

Nature as an Anticipation of Heaven 113

The Ascent of Love and the Intimation of Heaven 117

Experience and the Sense of Heaven: Herbert and Traherne 120

Nature as a Signpost of Heaven: Romanticism and Transcendentalism 124

Longing for Heaven: C. S. Lewis 130

5 The Consolation of Heaven 137

Reunion with Family in Heaven in Early Roman Christianity 139

Heaven as an Encounter with God 141

Heaven as a Dream: Feuerbach, Marx, and Freud 146

Heaven as an Encounter with Loved Ones 150

African American Spirituals 155

6 Journey’s End: Heaven as the Goal of the Christian Life 161

The Concept of Spirituality 162

The Hope of Heaven: Theological Foundations 164

The Appeal to Worship: Heaven on Earth 166

Feasting in the Kingdom 168

Journeying to the Promised Land 171

Returning to the Homeland from Exile 175

Seeing God Face to Face 181

Works Consulted 185

Index 192

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

‘Alister McGrath invariably combines enormous scholarship with an accessible and engaging style. This book is no exception - a splendid survey of a centrally important subject, covering theology and the arts with equal grace and clarity.’ Dr Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury

"Bringing together literature, theology, politics and the arts, this fascinating book traces the remarkable influence that the idea of heaven has had - and continues to have - on western culture." Publishing News

"It is delightfully lucid and insightful...Recommended for large public libraries as well as academic libraries offering a variety of Christian religious courses." Joyce Smothers, Library Journal

"Though clearly a scholar, McGrath transcends the drone of the academic dissertation, offering an accessible and thorough narrative. Using the rich visual imagery of heaven, McGrath has created a fascinating kaleidoscope for viewing the evolution of Christian worship." Publishers Weekly

"Pick of the week...It's an ambitious, immensely accessible, erudite and entertaining exploration of the way the idea of heaven has been constructed over the centuries." The Saturday Age

Editorial Reviews

Christians throughout history have imagined heaven in many diverse ways: a celestial city (sometimes called the "New Jerusalem"); a kingdom where God resides on a throne; a perpetual feast with an abundance of food and drink; a garden of paradise. Heaven has also served different theological purposes as a consolation for earthly suffering, a reward for good works or a promise of reunion with loved ones. After many years of studying Christianity's enormous body of historical literature on heaven, author and theologian McGrath notes at least one common theme that unites all these different visions and purposes: "The Christian concept of heaven is iconic, rather than intellectual-something that makes its appeal to the imagination, rather than the intellect, which calls out to be visualized rather than merely understood." Herein lay the rich possibilities and contemplative pleasures of this historically detailed discussion. McGrath, a professor of historical theology at Oxford University, organizes most of his narrative around the prevailing "visuals" of heaven, and how these have influenced Christian spirituality. After all, he notes, "It is much easier to reflect upon an image than an idea." From the way Christians built churches to the music they wrote for hymnals, the ever-morphing images of heaven have shaped this religion enormously. Though clearly a scholar, McGrath transcends the drone of the academic dissertation, offering an accessible and thorough narrative. Using the rich visual imagery of heaven, McGrath has created a fascinating kaleidoscope for viewing the evolution of Christian worship. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A professor of historical theology at Oxford and author of the standard introductory textbook on Christian theology for seminary students, McGrath offers a readable summary of prose and poetry on the theme of "the hereafter" in English literature. In this work of historical criticism, he examines artists' and writers' concepts of salvation and their influence on Western culture. Although the majority of works surveyed are by well-known British and American writers from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, McGrath also examines earlier literary works, including biblical accounts and Dante's Divine Comedy. He also considers writings by Freud and Marx on the role of heaven in social politics. This book is the first volume in a series on topics in philosophy and religion, written for educated lay readers but based on serious scholarship. It is delightfully lucid and insightful, much like McGrath's best-selling history of the King James version of the Holy Bible, In the Beginning. Eight illustrative plates of artworks from the Renaissance through the Pre-Raphaelite era were not seen by this reviewer. Recommended for large public libraries as well as academic libraries offering a variety of Christian religious courses.-Joyce Smothers, M. Div. student, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

‘Alister McGrath invariably combines enormous scholarship with an accessible and engaging style. This book is no exception - a splendid survey of a centrally important subject, covering theology and the arts with equal grace and clarity.’ Dr Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury

"Bringing together literature, theology, politics and the arts, this fascinating book traces the remarkable influence that the idea of heaven has had - and continues to have - on western culture." Publishing News

"It is delightfully lucid and insightful...Recommended for large public libraries as well as academic libraries offering a variety of Christian religious courses." Joyce Smothers, Library Journal

"Though clearly a scholar, McGrath transcends the drone of the academic dissertation, offering an accessible and thorough narrative. Using the rich visual imagery of heaven, McGrath has created a fascinating kaleidoscope for viewing the evolution of Christian worship." Publishers Weekly

"Pick of the week...It's an ambitious, immensely accessible, erudite and entertaining exploration of the way the idea of heaven has been constructed over the centuries." The Saturday Age

From the Publisher