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Heaven in the American Imagination
Hardback

Heaven in the American Imagination

$241.99
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Does heaven exist? If so, what is it like? And how does one get in? Throughout history, painters, poets, philosophers, pastors, and many ordinary people have pondered these questions. Perhaps no other topic captures the popular imagination quite like heaven. In this book, Gary Scott Smith looks at heaven through an American lens, tracing the history of heaven in the American imagination from the Puritans to the present. Concepts of heaven, he argues, are ever-changing, constantly adapting to the spirit of the age. In the colonial era, heaven focused primarily on the glory of God. For the Victorians, heaven was a warm comfortable home where people would live forever with their family and friends. Today, heaven has less Christian identity; many see it as a celestial entertainment center or a paradise where everyone can reach their full potential. Drawing on an astounding array of sources, including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, and devotional books, Smith paints a sweeping, provocative portrait of what Americans-from Jonathan Edwards to Mitch Albom-have thought about heaven.

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MORE INFO
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Oxford University Press Inc
Country
United States
Date
9 June 2011
Pages
360
ISBN
9780199738953

Does heaven exist? If so, what is it like? And how does one get in? Throughout history, painters, poets, philosophers, pastors, and many ordinary people have pondered these questions. Perhaps no other topic captures the popular imagination quite like heaven. In this book, Gary Scott Smith looks at heaven through an American lens, tracing the history of heaven in the American imagination from the Puritans to the present. Concepts of heaven, he argues, are ever-changing, constantly adapting to the spirit of the age. In the colonial era, heaven focused primarily on the glory of God. For the Victorians, heaven was a warm comfortable home where people would live forever with their family and friends. Today, heaven has less Christian identity; many see it as a celestial entertainment center or a paradise where everyone can reach their full potential. Drawing on an astounding array of sources, including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, and devotional books, Smith paints a sweeping, provocative portrait of what Americans-from Jonathan Edwards to Mitch Albom-have thought about heaven.

Read More
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Oxford University Press Inc
Country
United States
Date
9 June 2011
Pages
360
ISBN
9780199738953