Overview
Whether we believe in them or not, we are all familiar with the concepts of heaven and hell. There was a time, however, when no one thought they would go to either of these places after they died. So where did these conceptions of the afterlife, in which billions today believe, come from? From the ancient Near East, Greece and Rome to the time of early Christianity, Bart Ehrman traces how these ideas emerged through a centuries-long struggle to explain the injustice of this world. For if good is to ultimately triumph over evil, then this unjust world cannot be all there is. A fascinating history of how the ideas of the afterlife evolved over time, Heaven and Hell also reveals much about how Christianity came to be what it is today.
Full Product Details
Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Imprint: Oneworld Publications
Dimensions:
Width: 15.30cm
, Height: 3.00cm
, Length: 23.40cm
ISBN: 9781786077202
ISBN 10: 1786077205
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 02 April 2020
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
`A humane, thoughtful and intelligent historian.' * <i>New York Times</i> * `A great scholar.' -- Tom Holland
'A humane, thoughtful and intelligent historian.' * <i>New York Times</i> * 'A great scholar.' -- Tom Holland 'Ehrman's eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions is scintillating, fresh, and will appeal to scholars and lay readers alike.' * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) * 'Ehrman's twin strengths are deep knowledge and an accessible style. This displays both in spades.' * Booklist *
'Honest discussion about this is long overdue... ['Heaven and Hell'] is a wide-ranging book.' -- Methodist Recorder 'Ehrman's ongoing project of thinking critically about belief has never mattered more - not only to rescue culture from fundamentalism but also to retrieve an authentic language in which to express hopes that might outweigh death.' -- James Carroll, author of Constantine's Sword 'Ehrman writes like a great storyteller, and he rivals Dante's Virgil as a guide into mysterious realms.' -- Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration 'Ehrman's eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions is scintillating, fresh, and will appeal to scholars and lay readers alike.' * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) * 'Provocative, personal, and packed with fascinating details, Ehrman's lively tour of Greek philosophy, early Jewish sources, the Gospels, Paul's letters, Revelation and later Christian notions of eternal reward and everlasting torment educates, entertains, and, for those concerned about the afterlife, ultimately consoles.' -- Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University 'There's no one I'd rather read on what Christians believe, and why they believe it, than Bart Ehrman. This is a wise and fascinating book.' -- Tom Bissell, author of Apostle 'Do after-life threats and promises distract from this-world problems and hopes? Could heaven and hell be options in the present here-and-now rather than locations in the future then-and-here? Read this book and think.' -- John Dominic Crossan, author of Resurrecting Easter 'As lucid, learned and fascinating as ever, Ehrman has written a brilliant book on a profoundly important topic. Wonderful.' -- Catherine Nixey, author of The Darkening Age 'This elegant history explores the evolution of the concept of the afterlife in Western thought... Well-trod subjects are presented with engaging clarity, and more contentious theories are laid out carefully.' * The New Yorker * 'A number of religions and philosophies give detailed accounts of post-mortem existence; in this learned and highly readable book, Bart Ehrman offers a tour of the whole field... There are many nuances possible here; Ehrman presents them all with great clarity and massive scholarship.' * TLS * 'An impressively readable, clear and wide-ranging study.' -- Spectator 'Ehrman, as always, writes in a very accessible way, and gives the reader plenty to think about.' * Irish Independent * 'Many redoubtable volumes have been written about all this, but Ehrman, who already has more than two-dozen books on early Christianity under his belt, merrily blows the dust off the subject.' * The Economist * '[Ehrman's] is a vast learning worn wonderfully lightly and he is an engaging but expert guide around how religious ideas were formed and shaped our world.' * The Times *
'As lucid, learned and fascinating as ever, Ehrman has written a brilliant book on a profoundly important topic. Wonderful.' -- Catherine Nixey, author of The Darkening Age 'Do after-life threats and promises distract from this-world problems and hopes? Could heaven and hell be options in the present here-and-now rather than locations in the future then-and-here? Read this book and think.' -- John Dominic Crossan, author of Resurrecting Easter 'There's no one I'd rather read on what Christians believe, and why they believe it, than Bart Ehrman. This is a wise and fascinating book.' -- Tom Bissell, author of Apostle 'Provocative, personal, and packed with fascinating details, Ehrman's lively tour of Greek philosophy, early Jewish sources, the Gospels, Paul's letters, Revelation and later Christian notions of eternal reward and everlasting torment educates, entertains, and, for those concerned about the afterlife, ultimately consoles.' -- Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University 'Ehrman's eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions is scintillating, fresh, and will appeal to scholars and lay readers alike.' * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) * 'Ehrman's twin strengths are deep knowledge and an accessible style. This displays both in spades.' * Booklist * 'Ehrman writes like a great storyteller, and he rivals Dante's Virgil as a guide into mysterious realms.' -- Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration 'Ehrman's ongoing project of thinking critically about belief has never mattered more - not only to rescue culture from fundamentalism but also to retrieve an authentic language in which to express hopes that might outweigh death.' -- James Carroll, author of Constantine's Sword
Author Information
Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the New York Times bestselling author of Misquoting Jesus and How Jesus Became God. He has contributed to such major publications and media outlets as Time, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, NBC, CNN and the BBC.
