A Brief History of Heaven [[electronic resource]]

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910463973603321
• Autore: McGrath Alister E
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Hoboken, : Wiley, 2008
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (218 p.)
• Collana: Blackwell brief histories of religion.
• Disciplina: 236.24; 236.2409
• Soggetti: Future life -- Christianity; Heaven -- Christianity; Heaven in literature; Heaven; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di contenuto: Contents; List of Illustrations; Preface; 1 The City: The New Jerusalem; Images and the Christian Faith; The City of Jerusalem in the Old Testament; The City of Jerusalem in the New Testament; Augustine of Hippo on the Two Cities; The Heavenly City and Medieval Spirituality; Pearl and the New Jerusalem; John Bunyan's Heavenly City; The Shape of the Heavenly Body; 2 The Garden: Heaven as Paradise; The Quest for the Garden of Eden; Paradise in the Bible; Early Christian Views of Paradise; The Millennium as Paradise; Medieval Visions of Paradise; Dante's Divine Comedy; Paradise and the Enclosed GardenHeaven as the Restoration of Eden; 3 Opening the Gates of Heaven: Atonement and Paradise; Christ the Victor; Christ the Hero; Christ the Harrower of Hell; Christ the Redeemer: Atonement as Satisfaction; Christ the Lover: Atonement and the Enkindling of Love; The Institutionalization of Atonement: The Church as the Gateway to Heaven; The Privatization of Atonement: Personal Faith as the Gateway to Heaven; 4 The Signposting of Heaven: Signals of Transcendence; Nature as an Anticipation of Heaven; The Ascent of Love and the Intimation of Heaven; Experience and the Sense of Heaven: Herbert and TraherneNature as a ; Signpost of Heaven: Romanticism and Transcendentalism; Longing for Heaven: C. S. Lewis; 5 The Consolation of Heaven; Reunion with Family in Heaven in Early Roman Christianity; Heaven as an Encounter with God; Heaven as a Dream: Feuerbach, Marx, and Freud; Heaven as an Encounter with Loved Ones; African American Spirituals; 6 Journey's End: Heaven as the Goal of the Christian Life; The Concept of Spirituality; The Hope of Heaven: Theological Foundations; The Appeal to Worship: Heaven on Earth; Feasting in the Kingdom; Journeying to the Promised LandReturning to the Homeland from Exile; Seeing God Face to Face; Works Consulted; Index
• Sommario/riassunto: 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 scholars