Heaven

by Paula Gooder

Overview

For all who are curious about the dwelling place of God and the angels, this book explores the Bible's teaching on heaven and explains how it is nearer to earth than you might think. Paula Gooder considers the ways in which the Bible sees heaven and earth connecting, and explores all the major strands of belief about life after death, including the role of paradise, and what happens between death and resurrection. She shows how the biblical writers see heaven and earth as closely connected, so that what happens in heaven affects events on earth and vice versa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610977777
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	09/12/2011
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor at St Paul's Cathedral and a writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. Her research areas focus on the writings of the apostle Paul, with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians and on Paul's understanding of the body. Her publications include Body: Biblical spirituality for the whole person and Searching for Meaning: An introduction to interpreting the New Testament.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"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

Editorial Reviews

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.

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 meagre diet compared with the feast that this book lays before us: heaven and earth renewed, restored and reconnected.

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.

From the Publisher