Product Description

This text explores the brighter side of eternity, namely, heaven. Dispensing with cliched images of heaven, the author aims to stimulate readers' imaginations with a history of how the joy of paradise has been conceived by writers, philosophers and artists, for whom heaven was not immediate reality. He not only explores concepts found among the ancient Jews, Greeks and Romans, as well as early and medieval Christians, but also addresses the intellectual problems heaven poses: how does time "pass" in eternity? is heaven a place or a state? who is in and who is not? what happens to the body and soul between death and Judgement Day? Russell argues that the best way to approach the logic-defying concept of a place occupying neither space nor time is through poetry, paradox and the writings of such mystics as Bernard, Julian of Norwich and Eckhart. The book culminates in a lively analysis of how Dante described the glories of the indescribable.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #837275 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05-08
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 252 pages

Customer Reviews

A perfectly rapturous lecture series
Russell seems to lecture in a rapture of joy on the subject of heaven. While explaining the history of spiritual dreams he remains perfectly scholarly, but thrilled by his subject. We see him before the class, proclaiming humanity's ultimate visions of life:

"Heaven is the state of being in which all are united in love with one another and with God. It is an agapé, a love feast. Whenever less than the whole world is loved, with all the creatures in it, whenever anyone or anything is excluded from love, the result is isolation and retreat from heaven. Heaven is the community of those whom God loves and who love God." (p. 5)