The Early History of Heaven
The Early History of Heaven

Author: J. Edward Wright Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism University of Arizona

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1999-12-13

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0198029810

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When we think of "heaven," we generally conjure up positive, blissful images. Heaven is, after all, where God is and where good people go after death to receive their reward. But how and why did Western cultures come to imagine the heavenly realm in such terms? Why is heaven usually thought to be "up there," far beyond the visible sky? And what is the source of the idea that the post mortem abode of the righteous is in this heavenly realm with God? Seeking to discover the roots of these familiar notions, this volume traces the backgrounds, origin, and development of early Jewish and Christian speculation about the heavenly realm -- where it is, what it looks like, and who its inhabitants are. Wright begins his study with an examination of the beliefs of ancient Israel's neighbors Egypt and Mesopotamia, reconstructing the intellectual context in which the earliest biblical images of heaven arose. A detailed analysis of the Hebrew biblical texts themselves then reveals that the Israelites were deeply influenced by images drawn from the surrounding cultures. Wright goes on to examine Persian and Greco-Roman beliefs, thus setting the stage for his consideration of early Jewish and Christian images, which he shows to have been formed in the struggle to integrate traditional biblical imagery with the newer Hellenistic ideas about the cosmos. In a final chapter Wright offers a brief survey of how later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions envisioned the heavenly realms. Accessible to a wide range of readers, this provocative book will interest anyone who is curious about the origins of this extraordinarily pervasive and influential idea.

Odyssey
Odyssey

Author: Homer

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780198788805

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Since their composition almost 3,000 years ago the Homeric epics have lost none of their power to grip audiences and fire the imagination: with their stories of life and death, love and loss, war and peace they continue to speak to us at the deepest level about who we are across the span of generations. That being said, the world of Homer is in many ways distant from that in which we live today, with fundamental differences not only in language, social order, and religion, but in basic assumptions about the world and human nature. This volume offers a detailed yet accessible introduction to ancient Greek culture through the lens of Book One of the Odyssey, covering all of these aspects and more in a comprehensive Introduction designed to orient students in their studies of Greek literature and history. The full Greek text is included alongside a facing English translation which aims to reproduce as far as feasible the word order and sound play of the Greek original and is supplemented by a Glossary of Technical Terms and a full vocabulary keyed to the specific ways that words are used in Odyssey I. At the heart of the volume is a full-length line-by-line commentary, the first in English since the 1980s and updated to bring the latest scholarship to bear on the text: focusing on philological and linguistic issues, its close engagement with the original Greek yields insights that will be of use to scholars and advanced students as well as to those coming to the text for the first time.

Journey in Prayer
Journey in Prayer

Author: John Smed

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Published: 2020-05-05

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 0802498809

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An Evangelism Tool for a New Generation. Today’s seekers are far more likely to be open to prayer than a traditional gospel presentation. This beautifully designed book is unintimidating, inviting, and effective. It’s a seven-day journey through the Lord’s prayer. Each day explores a new petition in the Lord’s prayer and helps show the reader the prayer’s importance and impact. The author offers reflection questions, prayer prompts, and sample prayers to help readers begin and deepen their personal journeys in prayer. It’s a perfect resource for anyone exploring the Christian faith or young Christians learning to pray. Plus it works well one-on-one and in small groups.

A Mormon Odyssey
A Mormon Odyssey

Author: Larry Braithwaite

Publisher:

Published: 2003-12-01

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 9781413418798

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A Mormon Odyssey takes the reader into the heart and soul of a Mormon couple who discover that the religion of their heritage is laced with a web of lies, deceit, and cover-up. They began their journeys separately, each motivated by a desire to learn the unvarnished truth about the religion they had come to embrace. As they followed the trail of Mormonism from before its inception they discovered a history at odds with itself, where truth was illusive and nothing was what it seemed. Join their heart-wrenching journey through Mormonism and beyond. Based upon the personal experiences of the author and her husband followed by an in-depth research into the original documentation of the religion, they learn things about the Mormon Church and themselves that they never dreamed. Their integrity is tested, their minds are challenged, and their hearts are broken. It took tremendous courage and commitment to take such a journey but in the end they have triumphed, discovering that spirituality lives in the heart of the individual not in religious doctrine. A Mormon Odyssey is so touching, so informative, and so thoroughly documented that it may well change the reader's life.

The Early History of Heaven
The Early History of Heaven

Author: J. Edward Wright

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2002-03-28

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 0195348494

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When we think of "heaven," we generally conjure up positive, blissful images. Heaven is, after all, where God is and where good people go after death to receive their reward. But how and why did Western cultures come to imagine the heavenly realm in such terms? Why is heaven usually thought to be "up there," far beyond the visible sky? And what is the source of the idea that the post mortem abode of the righteous is in this heavenly realm with God? Seeking to discover the roots of these familiar notions, this volume traces the backgrounds, origin, and development of early Jewish and Christian speculation about the heavenly realm -- where it is, what it looks like, and who its inhabitants are. Wright begins his study with an examination of the beliefs of ancient Israel's neighbors Egypt and Mesopotamia, reconstructing the intellectual context in which the earliest biblical images of heaven arose. A detailed analysis of the Hebrew biblical texts themselves then reveals that the Israelites were deeply influenced by images drawn from the surrounding cultures. Wright goes on to examine Persian and Greco-Roman beliefs, thus setting the stage for his consideration of early Jewish and Christian images, which he shows to have been formed in the struggle to integrate traditional biblical imagery with the newer Hellenistic ideas about the cosmos. In a final chapter Wright offers a brief survey of how later Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions envisioned the heavenly realms. Accessible to a wide range of readers, this provocative book will interest anyone who is curious about the origins of this extraordinarily pervasive and influential idea.