Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife [Hardcover]

Lisa Miller (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 23, 2010

Stressed by daily news of tragedy and economic uncertainty, fearful of the inevitability of death, and buoyed by their love for God, people yearn for a paradise beyond the corporeal, free from suffering and pain. Yet as "Newsweek Religion" editor Lisa Miller demonstrates in this absorbing and enlightening book, this desire for a celestial afterlife is universal - shared by faithful around the world and across religions - and as old as the Bible itself. While there are many notions of what exactly heaven is and how we get there, the one point on which believers, whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, agree is that heaven is God's home. Heaven is a 2,000-year tour through the fascinating history and intellectual geography of this transcendent territory. From the earliest biblical conceptions of the afterlife to the stories of extraordinary theological characters to the convictions and perceptions of ordinary people, Miller explores the roots of our beliefs in heaven and how they have evolved to offer comfort and hope throughout the ages. She also reveals how the notion of heaven has been used for manipulation-to promulgate goodness and evil-as inspiration for selfless behaviour and justification for mass murder. From the Book of "Revelation" to the "Left Behind" series, Augustine to Osama Bin Laden, Muslims in the West Bank to American teens at vacation Bible school, "Heaven" is the definitive look at one of our most cherished religious ideals.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Heaven. The word evokes all kinds of images and feelings in the hearts of people virtually everywhere. In some corners, heaven is seen as a vague sense of euphoria, a state of everlasting bliss. In other corners, heaven is a busy place, where eternal progression is the challenge of eternity. In this fine work, Miller, religion editor for Newsweek, surveys this fascinating subject from the earliest days of Judaism to contemporary expressions of faith. Beneath her pleasing prose and often amusing observations about the afterlife, there is a longing, a desire to be part of what heaven really is. And it is this sense of personal yearning that informs her delightful and insightful study. Heaven is hope, a constant hope for unimaginable perfection even as we fail to achieve it. This marvelous work is a readable and wonderfully realized study of this constant hope that we share. And whether we align with Augustine or with the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, whether we're informed by scripture or by popular culture, Heaven will delight and edify readers at every level. (Mar. 23)
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From Booklist

According to various polls, most Americans believe in heaven even, as Miller points out, when they don’t know what heaven means. Miller, Newsweek’s religion editor, addresses what and where heaven is and why the concept endures. Having covered many aspects of religion and interviewed people of many different faiths, she offers portraits of famous and ordinary people as well as experts in religious studies to educe how their views do or, more commonly, do not reflect the “official teaching, whatever that is.” The crux of the book focuses on believers, not beliefs, “for how people imagine heaven changes with who they are and how they live.” Miller discusses the heavenly city, afterlife in the Hebrew Bible, resurrection, and salvation, includes a chapter on visionaries, and comments extensively on how heaven is portrayed in pop culture ranging from the Talking Heads’ song “Heaven” to Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones (2002). Miller’s whirlwind tour of heaven is an entertaining primer on a most complex subject. --June Sawyers

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (March 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060554754
• ISBN-13: 978-0060554750
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 6.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #640,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Miller, author of "Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination With The Afterlife," is a senior editor at Newsweek. She oversees all of the magazine's religion coverage and writes the weekly "Belief Watch column. She also is a regular contributor to the Washington Post's "OnFaith," an online global conversation about religion and faith

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Read March 31, 2010

By Book Junkie

Format:Hardcover

This is a fascinating book, exhaustively researched and beautifully written. As a journalist, Miller, who writes on religion for "Newsweek," interviews all sorts of intriguing personalities on what they expect to see and do in the afterlife. But she also digs back into history to see where we got all this stuff about milk and honey and roads paved with gold. Finally, she lets us in on her own skepticism, and her own hopes, turning what might have been a dry exposition of ancient doctrines into a conversation that feels as contemporary as it is compelling. Highly recommended for believers and unbelievers alike.

36 of 46 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Any Book on Theology That Quotes 'Talking Heads' Is OK with Me May 11, 2010

By Dean A. Anderson

Format:Hardcover

When I was a little kid, first grade or so, I had a nightmare about Chilly Willie, the penguin cartoon character. Chilly was out in the ocean and he drowned. But that wasn't the scary part. The scary part was seeing the bird sitting on a cloud in heaven. And he was going to be there, doing nothing for ever. That boredom was what scared me.
That's why I was happy to see that Lisa Miller, in her book Heaven (Harper Collins 2010), included a chapter entitled "Is Heaven Boring?" Because a lot of adults wonder about that, it isn't just the mini-me. Miller explores many interesting questions about heaven and the answers provided by the monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) for the last few millennia. Ideas about Heaven from culture (Dante) to pop culture (The Lovely Bones) are also presented.
Miller is Jewish, the religion editor of Newsweek and skeptical herself about the existence of heaven. But her interviews with followers of various faiths are fair and respectful. She calls Anne Graham Lotz (Billy's daughter) a friend and listens politely (and uncomfortably) to Anne pleas to take the Christian path to Heaven. She also writes about her respect for prominent atheists.
It is interesting to follow the history of views of Heaven through the years and the various ways heaven is viewed today. Is Heaven a physical place or purely spiritual? Does one get entrance to Heaven through faith or works or does everyone get in? How does one's view of Heaven affect the way one lives life? The varied answers to these questions that Miller finds are intriguing, sometime funny, and thought provoking.
I knew a lot of the things that Miller writes about. I remembered from my seminary days about Augustine's teaching that unbaptized babies would not get into heaven.... (The Bishop of Hippo wrote that just as the thief on the cross would enter Heaven based on his faith, though he was not baptized; babies who are baptized enter Heaven though they have not faith.) I hadn't known (or remembered) that the church father went on to argue that there was a special baby hell, wherein baby souls wouldn't really even notice their torture. (Baby hell is a concept worth pondering.)
I was unaware of some of the Muslim theories of the intermediary state between death and the Resurrection. This is a theory that two angels with green eyes and long fangs test the newly dead with a series of questions. Those who pass the test with flying colors will get a window view of heaven. Second tier corpses will get a window to hell with the assurance that they won't go there. Third level is pretty bad because your grave will be set afire and fourth is worse because your sins are turned into wild animals that will attack you.
I also found fascinating the archeological evidence that in ancient Israel, people kept their ancestors bones under there house and may have consulted and/or worshiped them.
Miller can, of course, present no definitive conclusions with her research. But she seems to believe that it is a challenge to rationalism to believe in Heaven and is very uncomfortable with the idea that there is only one route to get there.
Obviously, these are difficult questions. But I believe in a powerful God who can do as He chooses. And that He has graciously choose to give life to His people after life on this earth.
And as to that question of whether Heaven is boring, I came to my own conclusions when I attended camp as a kid, a few years after that penguin dream. A speaker at camp pointed to the beauty around us (the spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains) and the fun we'd had though the week (swimming, games, archery, great food) and said that a God who thought up such great things would have even better things to come. For me, that answered my fear. That's when I trusted Christ for forgiveness of my sins and began looking forward to Heaven. Read more ›

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent And Thought Provoking August 2, 2010

By Richard A. Root

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ms. Miller's historical overview is excellent. Our interpretation of what exists in the afterlife has greatly changed in the past 2500 years. It has grown and matured as mankind has grown more complex. Ms. Miller makes this journey fascinating. She also debunks many of our current myths about other religions' views of heaven [e.g., the 72 virgins of Islam]. Yes, as this book is written by an American, for the American audience, she does, for the most part, deal with the three major religions in America. This may be off-putting to some. One warning: You must approach this book with an open mind. When I was reading it, one deeply religious Baptist friend asked me what I was reading, and I explained that it was a book that described how our views on heaven have changed over the past 2500 years. She gave me a blank expression, and informed me that "Heaven has never changed!" I had to quickly say, "Heaven may not have changed, but our understanding and interpretation of it sure has!" Ms. Miller has done an excellent job of writing on a difficult subject.

19 of 27 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars More than a little disappointed July 22, 2010

By S. Rodger

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I wind up reading quite a few of the books that are featured on John Stewart's The Daily Show so I was really looking forward to this read. Truthfully, I could have learned as much after spending an hour or two on the Internet. The book is listed as 368 pages but is really only 239. I don't count the epilogue, which consists mostly of a long ,rambling personal story. This was too much like having lunch with somebody who won't let you get a word in edgewise and then having to pick up the tab. There are much better books on the subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Heaven: A Resource for Hopeful Living May 29, 2012

By Paul Patterson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Lisa Miller gives us readers an extremely entertaining, educative and vulnerable exploration into the plethora of views regarding heaven. She is a Reformed Jew and editor of Newsweek's religion section. Miller isn't committed to a firm belief in Heaven but definitely manages to elicit our hopes for a meaningful life... and perhaps more. I haven't read any treatment of heaven that is more conversationally readable than this book. With genuine interest and tolerance the author listens to a variety of view points concerning afterlife. She honestly admits that she wished she might have the same faith and confidence in heaven as some of her interviewees express. She seems particularly drawn to the ideas of heaven in orthodox Judaism and evangelicalism. I am not sure whether or not her hopes are crushed due to being a thoroughly postmodern person divorced from a the ancient world-views but she does seem to wish for the earlier literal belief in heaven, even though she is intellectually convinced of modern cosmology.

I felt as if I were receiving a wonderful review of all the comparative religion courses I have ever had while at college. The only difference was that she was thoroughly engaging and utilized testimony from individuals who believed ardently in their views of afterlife rather than mere theorists. She made me want to take the topic seriously and to explore how whatever the other side contains it has an importance to my here and now life.

Lisa Miller has definitely done a vast amount or research and recommends some of the best popular and academic treatments of her subject. I was delighted to see that she even spoke to and read N.T. Wright one of my favourite Christian theologians who stresses the importance of Resurrection rather than immortality in a bodiless other world.... Like the author herself, Wright does all in his power to intricately connect the Heaven to Earth in a profoundly hopeful manner.

While tabulating the views of Heaven in the history of religions and current traditions, she doesn't neglect to submit Heaven to the gaze of empirical science by discussing the various research on NDE (Near Death Experience) and physic phenomena. The age old dilemma of Mind/Brian connection is ever in the background. However, even when discussing the first hand accounts of dying and returning Lisa Miller emphasizes the need to apply a ethical litmus test as to whether the experience enhanced the character of the person having had it. From her examples it appears that the NDE experience regularly retrieves individuals from death to their normal consciousness with more love, generosity and confidence. Such transformation can not be easily dismissed.

Lisa Miller rarely takes sides in the debates on heaven, except in the case of exploiting the grieving through seances or by making the entry to Heaven a sectarian or ethnic privilege. She maintains an open mind throughout her book and ultimately displays a gracious attitude toward different points of view. There is very little reductionism here nor is there any deriding of the beliefs of others. Love is Heaven's watchword; Dante is its prime poet. Miller doesn't evade the fact that heaven, when overly literalized and humanized, is jest-worthy as her comments on Albert Brooks' 1991 film Defend Your Life reveal. In-between reincarnating Hassid Jews, Paradise pursuing Muslims and a host of others, the true North of Miller's discussion is an affirmation of life. She exalts the importance of Heaven for the expectant living in her last paragraph,

I do not cling to heaven as a radical concept, a place that embodies the best of everything - but beyond the best. A belief in heaven focuses our minds on the radical nature of what's beautiful, most loving, most just, and most true. At the beginning of this book, I said, I believed that heaven was hope. I would now amend that to say, "Radical hope - a constant hope for unimaginable perfection even as we fail to achieve it. As Emily Dickinson said, heaven is what we cannot reach. But it is worth a human life to try. Read more ›