Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife

Description

An accessible history of heaven from the earliest scriptural conceptions of the afterlife to theologians to the convictions & perceptions of everyday people. Drawing on history & popular culture, textual research & everyday beliefs,Heavenoffers an understanding of one of the most shared ideals of spiritual life. Miller raises discussions not just about visions of the afterlife, but about how beliefs have influenced the societies we've built & the lifestyles to we've adopted, exploring the roots of beliefs in heaven & how these have evolved through the ages to offer hope. She also reveals how the notion of heaven has been used for manipulation, as inspiration for selfless behavior & as justification for mass murder. As she demonstrates, the desire for a celestial afterlife is shared by the faithful around the world & across religions. While there are many notions of what exactly heaven is & how to get there, Jews, Christians & Muslims all agree that heaven is god's home. From Revelation to the Left Behind series, Augustine to Osama bin Laden, Muslims in the W. Bank to Mormons baptizing the dead,Heavenis a look at a cherished religious ideal. Introduction What is heaven? The miracle The kingdom is near Green, green pastures Resurrection Salvation Visionaries Reunions Is heaven boring? Epilogue Author's Note & Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index