Brief History of Heaven

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.

• List of Illustrations viiiPreface ix1 The City: The New Jerusalem 1Images and the Christian Faith 2The City of Jerusalem in the Old Testament 7The City of Jerusalem in the New Testament 10Augustine of Hippo on the Two Cities 13The Heavenly City and Medieval Spirituality 17Pearl and the New Jerusalem 25John Bunyan’s Heavenly City 29The Shape of the Heavenly Body 332 The Garden: Heaven as Paradise 39The Quest for the Garden of Eden 41Paradise in the Bible 43Early Christian Views of Paradise 47The Millennium as Paradise 52Medieval Visions of Paradise 54Dante’s Divine Comedy 58Paradise and the Enclosed Garden 65Heaven as the Restoration of Eden 703 Opening the Gates of Heaven: Atonement and Paradise 75Christ the Victor 79Christ the Hero 83Christ the Harrower of Hell 88Christ the Redeemer: Atonement as Satisfaction 94Christ the Lover: Atonement and the Enkindling of Love 96The Institutionalization of Atonement: The Church as the Gateway to Heaven 101The Privatization of Atonement: Personal Faith as the Gateway to Heaven 1064 The Signposting of Heaven: Signals of Transcendence 111Nature as an Anticipation of Heaven 113The Ascent of Love and the Intimation of Heaven 117Experience and the Sense of Heaven: Herbert and Traherne 120Nature as a Signpost of Heaven: Romanticism and Transcendentalism 124Longing for Heaven: C. S. Lewis 1305 The Consolation of Heaven 137Reunion with Family in Heaven in Early Roman Christianity 139Heaven as an Encounter with God 141Heaven as a Dream: Feuerbach, Marx, and Freud 146Heaven as an Encounter with Loved Ones 150African American Spirituals 1556 Journey’s End: Heaven as the Goal of the Christian Life 161The Concept of Spirituality 162The Hope of Heaven: Theological Foundations 164The Appeal to Worship: Heaven on Earth 166Feasting in the Kingdom 168Journeying to the Promised Land 171Returning to the Homeland from Exile 175Seeing God Face to Face 181Works Consulted 185Index 192

‘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