Heaven [Hardcover]

Heaven is one of those great mysteries that somehow symbolize what we don't know about ourselves and the world around us. At the same time it lifts our vision from the mundane realities of our everyday lives and reminds us that beyond the daily grind of our existence there is another, unseen reality. A reality that is as real--if not more so--than our everyday lives. Heaven suggests an answer to the familiar human feeling that there must be more than this, and prompts us to wonder whether there is indeed more in heaven and earth than can be dreamt of in all our philosophies. -Paula Gooder, from the Introduction As Paula Gooder puts it, this book tackles all the 'weird stuff' the church tends to shy away from. We are in the realm here not of fluffy clouds and harps but of God's presence, angelic beings and mystical visions. Heaven, we discover, is not just about the afterlife but the here and now--about how we live with each other, the planet, and God. This is indeed the essential 'rough guide' to heaven, and much more. -Steve Hollinghurst, author of Mission-Shaped Evangelism In this profound, lucid and compassionate book, Paula Gooder demonstrates that heaven is not a vague future hope but the presence of the God who made heaven and earth. This means that believing in heaven involves us in God's passionate commitment to earth. A concept of heaven that is only about the fate of the pious individual after death is a meager diet compared with the feast that this book lays before us: heaven and earth renewed, restored, and reconnected. -Jane Williams, author of Lectionary Reflections Paula Gooder has an extraordinary ability to offer top-class biblical scholarship in an accessible form. She makes a complex topic interesting and surprisingly relevant. -Christopher Rowland, author of Christian Origins Paula Gooder is a freelance writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. She is Canon Theologian of Birmingham and Guildford Cathedrals, Lay Canon at Salisbury Catlƒd