Heaven in the American Imagination

Heaven in the American Imagination

Author: Gary Scott Smith

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2011-06-01

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 0199830703

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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. Gary Scott Smith examines how Americans from the Puritans to the present have imagined heaven. He argues that whether Americans have perceived heaven as reality or fantasy, as God's home or a human invention, as a source of inspiration and comfort or an opiate that distracts from earthly life, or as a place of worship or a perpetual playground has varied largely according to the spirit of the age. In the colonial era, conceptions of 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 is often less distinctively Christian and more of a celestial entertainment center or a paradise where everyone can reach his full potential. Drawing on an astounding array of sources, including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, jokes, and devotional books, Smith paints a sweeping, provocative portrait of what Americans-from Jonathan Edwards to Mitch Albom-have thought about heaven.


The Harsh Cry Of The Heron

The Harsh Cry Of The Heron

Author: Lian Hearn

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2014-05-11

Total Pages: 430

ISBN-13: 0733625290

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FOUR MILLION COPIES SOLD. In 40 languages. One of the most thrilling series of our time. Enter the feudal world of the Otori - filled with magic, treachery and intrigue - inspired by medieval Japan and created by acclaimed Australian author, Lian Hearn. 'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY Lord Otori Takeo and his consort Kaede have ruled for over sixteen years. The Three Countries are rich, peaceful and prosperous. The sacred birds, the Houou, nest at Terayama and a fabled creature, the Kirin, has appeared on their shores. Heaven seems to smile on them. Yet their very success has drawn them to the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Three Countries,especially Takeo's heir, his eldest daughter Shigeko, now of marriageable age. At the same time, the renegade Tribe family, the Kikuta, seek revenge on Takeo for the murder of their leader. Everything Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened. INCLUDES an extract from HEAVEN'S NET IS WIDE PLUS three chapters of EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS, the first novel in Lian Hearn's spellbinding new Tale of Shikanoko series. 'One of the most thrilling series of our time.' THE TIMES '... a world that is rich with character and detail, yet effortless to read' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 'An engrossing fantasy saga of literary quality.' THE AGE 'Lian Hearn's marvellous storytelling talent ... makes reading these books a moment of pure bliss.' LE MONDE


Inside the Gates of Heaven

Inside the Gates of Heaven

Author: Oden Hetrick

Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers

Published: 2014-01-30

Total Pages: 147

ISBN-13: 0768405025

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Inside the Gates of Heaven is one of the most compelling accounts of an individuals encounters with God in this generation. Not only does this account take you on a journey through the gates of glory, it answers some of the questions long asked by many about our eternal destination. I have personally read and re-read this account in light of what the Lord is revealing to many of us in this hour and find that Brother Oden was a forerunner for many of us. His words and experiences have been repeated through many others who have had similar experiences. The Lord is truly trying to encourage this generation with the reality that awaits all of us - Heaven, our eternal destiny. Bruce Allen For those unsure of the existence of Heaven, Oden Hetrick’s detailed account of his visits to the place we all long for serves as a true doubt-demolisher and faith-injector. The fact that Oden led an exemplary righteous, Christian life lends further credence to his written testimony. It was my honor both to have known him as a friend and to have been inspired by his great faith. Steve Jones Extra Mile Ministries www.extramileministries.net The Hetrick family is very special to me. They adopted me into their family like a daughter and sister, and have blessed me in many ways. Dad Hetrick was a genuine man of God with a gentle spirit. I trust you will be blessed and edified by what the Lord has revealed to him. I look forward to experiencing the exciting glories of Heaven soon that he has left on record for our encouragement and instruction. Arlene A. Cober


Opening Heaven's Door

Opening Heaven's Door

Author: Patricia Pearson

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-05-13

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1476757089

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The first book by a respected journalist on Nearing Death Awareness—similar to Near-Death Experience—this “fascinating” (Kirkus Reviews) exploration brings “humor, sympathy, and keen critical intelligence to a topic that is all too often off-limits” (Ptolemy Tompkins, collaborator with Eben Alexander on Proof of Heaven). People everywhere carry with them extraordinary, deeply comforting experiences that arrived at the moment when they most needed relief: when they lost a loved one. These experiences can include clear messages from beyond, profound and vividly beautiful visions, mysterious connections and spiritual awareness, foreknowledge of a loved one’s passing—all of which evade explanation by science and logic. Most people keep these transcendent experiences secret for fear they will be discounted by hyperrational scrutiny. Yet these very common occurrences have the power to console, comfort, and even transform our understanding of life and death. Prompted by her family’s surprising, profound experiences around the death of her father and her sister, reporter Patricia Pearson sets out on an open-minded inquiry, a rare journalistic investigation of Nearing Death Awareness, which Anne Rice praises as “substantive, eloquent, and worthwhile.” Opening Heaven’s Door offers deeply affecting stories of messages from the dying and the dead in a fascinating work of investigative journalism, pointing to new scientific explanations that give these luminous moments the importance felt by those who experience them. Pearson also delves into out-of-body and near-death experiences, examining stories and research to make sense of these related but distinct categories. Challenging current assumptions about what we know and what we are still unable to explain, Opening Heaven’s Door will forever alter your perceptions of the nature of life and death.


Under the Banner of Heaven

Under the Banner of Heaven

Author: Jon Krakauer

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2004-06-08

Total Pages: 434

ISBN-13: 1400078997

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. • Now an acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU. “Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities. At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.


Tales of the Otori Trilogy

Tales of the Otori Trilogy

Author: Lian Hearn

Publisher: Hodder

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 9780733619113

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The mythical world of the Otori is unforgettable. What the critics said: '...an exquisite tale of revenge, love, beauty and honour...' - Australian Financial Review 'A remarkable smooth-flowing triumph of the imagination' - Woman's Day 'Lian's writing sweeps you along and leaves you tingling in anticipation of the final instalment in this epic tale' - The Sydney Morning Herald 'The beauty, savagery and strangeness of Hearn's gripping tale is heightened by her exquisite, crystalline prose' - The Independent on Sunday


Remembering Heaven's Face

Remembering Heaven's Face

Author: John Balaban

Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 9780820324159

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The author recounts his years in Vietnam as a conscientious objector, serving as a teacher and a rescue worker for an organization that sent children with war injuries to the United States.


Whispers of Heaven

Whispers of Heaven

Author: Candice Proctor

Publisher: Wheeler Publishing, Incorporated

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781587240980

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After yeras of schooling in England, Jesmond Corbett finds little has changed on her family's estate along the sea-battered coast of Tasmania. Betrothed since childhood to a wealthy neighbor, Jessie comes home determined to conform to the expectations of her family and the society in which they live. But nothing in Jessie's life has prepared her for the mysterious stranger who works in the stables, a man with searing eyes who haunts her dreams and awakens passions she never knew existed. Irishman Lucas Gallagher arrived on the island in chains, a convict sentenced to a lifetime of slave labor for the English gentry. For four yeras he has lived a dead man's existence, using every spare moment to plan his escape. But when he meets Jessie, she touches his cold, angry heart. And although their love has no future, he finds himself unable to den the longings of his battered soul -- longings that threaten to destroy what may be his last chance to reach for freedom.


The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven

Author: Kevin Malarkey

Publisher:

Published:

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9788184953923

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A True Story A Remarkable Account of Miracles Angels, and Life beyond this World AN ACCIDENT, A MIRACLE , and a SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER that will give you new insights on Heaven, angels, and hearing the voice of God. In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered a terrible car wreck. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex – and it seemed impossible that he could survive. When Alex awoke from a coma two months later, he had an incredible story to share. Of events at the accident scene and in the hospital while he was unconscious. Of the unearthly music that sounded just terrible to a six-year-old. Of the angels who took him through the gates of Heaven itself. And, most amazing of all . . . of meeting and talking to Jesus. The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven is the true story of an ordinary boy’s most extraordinary journey. As you see Heaven and earth through Alex’s eyes, you’ll come away with new insights on miracles, life beyond this world, and the power of a father’s love.


Visions of Heaven

Visions of Heaven

Author: Martin Kemp

Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Limited

Published: 2021-03

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9781848224674

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Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is one of the greatest European writers, whose untrammelled imaginative capacity was matched by a huge base in embracing the science of his era. His texts also paint compelling visual images. In Visions of Heaven, renowned scholar Martin Kemp investigates Dante's supreme vision of divine light and its implications for the visual artists who were the inheritors of Dante's vision. The whole book may be regarded as a new Paragone (comparison), the debate that began in the Renaissance about which of the arts is superior. Dante's ravishing accounts of divine light set painters the severest challenge, which took them centuries to meet. A major theme running through Dante's Divine Comedy, particularly in its third book, the Paradiso, centres on Dante's acts of seeing (conducted according to optical rules with respect to the kind of visual experience that can be accomplished on earth) and the overwhelming of Dante's earthly senses by heavenly light, which does not obey his rules of earthly optics. The repeated blinding of Dante by excessive light sets the tone for artists' portrayal of unseeable brightness.