Download PDF Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife by Bart D. Ehrman
- Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
- Bart D. Ehrman
- Page: 352
- Format: pdf, ePub, mobi, fb2
- ISBN: 9781501136757
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Free download ebooks for ipod touch Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife English version by Bart D. Ehrman
Overview
A New York Times bestselling historian of early Christianity takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence: where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from, and why do they endure? What happens when we die? A recent Pew Research poll showed that 72% of Americans believe in a literal heaven, 58% in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. But eternal rewards and punishments are found nowhere in the Old Testament and are not what Jesus or his disciples taught. So where did the ideas come from? In clear and compelling terms, Bart Ehrman recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for the damned. Some of these accounts take the form of near death experiences, the oldest on record, with intriguing similarities to those reported today. One of Ehrman’s startling conclusions is that there never was a single Greek, Jewish, or Christian understanding of the afterlife, but numerous competing views. Moreover, these views did not come from nowhere; they were intimately connected with the social, cultural, and historical worlds out of which they emerged. Only later, in the early Christian centuries, did they develop into the notions of eternal bliss or damnation widely accepted today. As a historian, Ehrman obviously cannot provide a definitive answer to the question of what happens after death. In Heaven and Hell, he does the next best thing: by helping us reflect on where our ideas of the afterlife come from, he assures us that even if there may be something to hope for when we die, there is certainly nothing to fear.
Other ebooks: Descargar [PDF] {EPUB} VERBALISATIONS POUR UN CŒUR CASSÉ read pdf, LA ROBE OU LE PANTALON leer el libro pdf download pdf, Online Read Ebook Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (Light Novel) Vol. 14 read book, {epub download} Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto for Sharing Public Wealth read book, EL TODO leer pdf pdf, IL SENZA CUORE leer epub read book, Online Read Ebook Luna's Obedience School: Pet Pals 2 site, [Descargar pdf] SOMOS BELÉN read pdf, [PDF/Kindle] COME ENTRA IL DENTIFRICIO NEL TUBETTO? descargar gratis here, [PDF EPUB] Download Parallel Paradise Vol. 9 by Full Book download link, SOY YO O ES QUE AQUI HACE MUCHO CALOR: LO ULTIMO EN NUTRICION, DEPORTE, SALUD, SEXO, BELLEZA, PARA DISFRUTAR SIN COMPLEJOS DURANTE LA MENOPAUSIA leer epub CHARO IZQUIERDO, LAURA R. GALARRETA pdf, DOWNLOADS Rubs (Third Edition): Updated & Revised to Include Over 175 Recipes for Rubs, Marinades, Glazes, and Bastes (Grilling Gift, BBQ Cookbook, Outdoor Cooking, Gifts for Fathers, Entertaining Techniques, Fourth of July) read book,