The Quest For Paradise: Visions of Heaven and Eternity in the World's Myths and Religions [Hardcover]

John Ashton (Author), Tom Whyte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2001

In every culture, in every epoch, human beings have yearned for heaven -- the dwelling place of the gods, mirror of our hopes and desires. Now, in The Quest for Paradise, renowned scholar John Ashton and his colleague Tom Whyte offer an intriguing look at how we have thought of and envisioned heaven and the afterlife, from the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, to the Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, as well as the indigenous peoples of the Americas, Australia, and Africa.

Lavishly illustrated with extensive depictions of heaven in art from around the world, and drawing on scriptures, myths, epics, poems, novels, philosophy, and other writings from many cultures, The Quest for Paradise illuminates the vast spectrum of beliefs about the world beyond. The book also explores the concept of utopia, or paradise on earth, from the perspective of such diverse thinkers as H.G. Wells, D.H. Lawrence, Margaret Mead, and Aldous Huxley.

Ashton and Whyte present a fascinating array of ancient and modern views of heaven. Included are extraordinary inhabitants and geographical features, representing scenes from works such as The Odyssey, the Bible, the Quran, and the Sukhavativyuha Sutras, and from the works of writers such as Hesiod, Ovid, Virgil, Dante, Milton, and Yeats, highlighting both the diversity and the universality of reflection on heaven.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Almost all the major religions have a version of the Garden of Eden story, which is studied and illustrated extensively in The Quest for Paradise. The idea of paradise has inspired the human imagination for millennia, and the full-color artistic renditions of life in the hereafter enhance the ambitious narrative. Biblical scholar John Ashton and comparative religionist Tom Whyte span a multitude of religions and myths while remaining completely accessible to a general audience. While readers will discover many intriguing similarities, there is also a satisfying diversity of stories and beliefs. The Aztecs thought warriors spent eternity on Earth as brightly colored birds. In Islam, an "Angel of Death" named Izrail has enormous wings that "embrace the faithful but crush the wicked." Rastafarians believe that paradise can be re-created on Earth if humans learn to commune with nature. Readers can ponder the many possibilities while savoring these beautifully illustrated pages. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

Just in time for high gift-giving season comes this lushly illustrated exploration of "paradise" in world religions. Written by a biblical scholar (Ashton) and a comparative religionist (Whyte), the text is remarkably accessible to the casual reader. The authors have divided their subject into three parts: "immortal longings," which treats the concept of paradise as the search for happiness and immortality in ancient cultures; "the Eden story," which focuses on the more traditional visions of paradise emerging from Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and "other worlds," which explores everything from African, aboriginal and American traditions to secular utopias. Descriptions of major faiths are sprinkled with beautifully designed insets describing lesser-known stories and myths. The vivid color illustrations are even richer in content than the text. From carvings and sculptures to paintings and frescoes, the visual tour of afterlife imaginings alone could absorb readers for hours. Although each segment is necessarily brief and inevitably oversimplified, the broad, comparative sweep across so many traditions and worldviews draws out some fascinating similarities (and contrasts) in the concept of paradise. In particular, the comparative treatment of Adam, Eve and the Tree of Life across several major world religions is intriguing to those who have been exposed to a single Western view of the story. The authors write easily to a general audience, with a comfortable style and a generous sense of humor. This gorgeous book is well-suited to be a coffee-table favorite.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1ST edition (October 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006251735X
• ISBN-13: 978-0062517357
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Share Heaven and Eternity in Utopian Quest, July 16, 2005

By 

Thought lancer "americopticlilac" (America Illuminated) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest For Paradise: Visions of Heaven and Eternity in the World's Myths and Religions (Hardcover)

"The Egyptian afterlife, like many Egyptian conceptions, was characterized by a contrasting duality: a dark and mysterious netherworld presided over by Osiris, Lord of Resurrection, and an astral dominance, in which sun god Re was supreme." Dr. Ogden Goelet, NYU



Origins and Eternity:
Almost all religions pose the question; "From where did we come, and where are we having our ultimate destination?" with Different answers to these eternal questions. In Visions of Heaven and Eternity in the World's Myths and Religions, John Ashton, a Biblical scholar, and Tom Whyte, a comparative religion expert, take the reader of "The Quest for Paradise:" in a visual utopian journey that explores the afterlife of the Ancient Egyptians and all who followed the mystical quest for eternity since ancient times, from all around the globe.

Visions of Heaven:
Belief systems of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims, are probed while ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome are explored to compare the similarities and contrast the differences on the afterlife myth and religious folklore. Greek to Celtic Paradise are linked to the Garden of Delights. The comparative treatment of Adam, Eve and the Tree of Life, is particularly intriguing to those who are exposed only to the Genesis story, while the Heliopolitan Cosmology stands clearly as the origin of the creation drama. Exploring the common historical roots and discovering the mythical fables of Alexander the Great, Gilgamesh, to the ride on Buraq are fascinating. Beautifully embedded with spectacular visual arts in drawings and photos, the book pages look real for the young and challenging for all readers.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little of everything, January 20, 2006

By 

James Hercules Sutton (Des Moines, IA (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest For Paradise: Visions of Heaven and Eternity in the World's Myths and Religions (Hardcover)

but not enough of anything. Curious mixture of a broad survey with the arcane. Written by scholars, but vitiated by political correctness. Sumptuously illustrated, sometimes irrelevantly. Amused, sometimes by its own cleverness. A coffee table book on Paradise. A quick read on a cold night.