Heaven: The Logic of Eternal JoyOxford University Press, 15/08/2002 - 240 من الصفحات The Christian doctrine of heaven has been a moral source of enormous power in western culture. It has provided a striking account of the ultimate good in life and has for two millennia animated the hope that our lives can be fully meaningful. Recently, however, the doctrine of heaven has lost much of its grip on the western imagination and has become a vague and largely ignored part of the Christian creed. Not only have our hopes been redefined as a result, but our very identity as human beings has been altered. In this book, Jerry L. Walls argues that the doctrine of heaven is ripe for serious reconsideration. He contends not only that the orthodox view of heaven can be defended from objections commonly raised against it, but also that heaven is a powerful resource for addressing persistent philosophical problems, not the least of which concern the ground of morality and the meaning of life. Walls shows how heaven is integrally related to central Christian doctrines, particularly those concerning salvation, and tackles the difficult problem of why faith in Christ is necessary to save us from our sins. In addition, heaven is shown to illumine thorny problems of personal identity and to be an essential component of a satisfactory theodicy. Walls goes on to examine data from near-death experiences from the standpoint of some important recent work in epistemology and argues that they offer positive evidence for heaven. He concludes that we profoundly need to recover the hope of heaven in order to recover our very humanity. |
المحتوى
14 | |
Heaven the Nature of Salvation and Purgatory | 34 |
Heaven and Its Inhabitants | 63 |
Heaven Trinity and Personal Identity | 92 |
Heaven and the Problem of Irredeemable Evil | 113 |
Heaven and Visions of Life after Life | 133 |
Heaven Morality and the Meaning of Life | 161 |
Conclusion | 198 |
Notes | 201 |
217 | |
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عبارات ومصطلحات مألوفة
achieve afterlife Alston altruism Alvin Plantinga argue argument atonement belief in heaven believe Blackmore C. S. Lewis Christ Christian doctrine claim Colin Gunton consider Cornelius Plantinga death defend desire divine doctrine of heaven dualism earlier epistemic epistemology essential eternal evil existence experience fact faith final forgiveness give God's gospel grace happiness hell Hick Hick's hope human Hume Hume's Ibid implications important incarnation inclusivism involved issue Jesus John John Hick lives Marilyn Adams matter meaning memory middle knowledge moral Moreover naturalistic nature NDEs notion one's orthodox particular penal substitution perfect personal identity philosophical Plantinga position possible postmodern problem purgatory question reality reason reject relationship religions religious requires response resurrection revelation Richard Swinburne sacrifice salvation sanctification saved sense significant sort soul spiritual suffering suggest surely Swinburne theism theodicy theology things tion traditional transformation Trinity true truth ultimate University Press Wesley Zaleski
مقاطع مشهورة
الصفحة 16 - If the whole of natural theology, as some people seem to maintain, resolves itself into one simple, though somewhat ambiguous, at least undefined proposition, that the cause or causes of order in the universe probably bear some remote analogy to human intelligence...
الصفحة 5 - I have thought, I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God : just hovering over the great gulf ; till, a few moments hence, I am no more seen ; I drop into an unchangeable eternity ! I want to know one thing, — the way to heaven ; how to land safe on that happy shore.
الصفحة 19 - ... effaced by the rolling of the sands or inundation of the waters. Why then do you refuse to admit the same method of reasoning with regard to the order of nature ? Consider the world and the present life only as an imperfect building, from which you can infer a superior intelligence; and arguing from that superior intelligence, which can leave nothing imperfect, why may you not infer a more finished scheme or plan, which will receive its completion in some distant point of space or time ? Are...
الصفحة 18 - His power we allow is infinite: whatever he wills is executed : but neither man nor any other animal is happy : therefore he does not will their happiness. His wisdom is infinite : he is never mistaken in choosing the means to any end : but the course of Nature tends not to human or animal felicity : therefore it is not established for that purpose.
الصفحة 16 - If it affords no inference that affects human life, or can be the source of any action or forbearance : And if the analogy, imperfect as it is, can be carried no farther than to the human intelligence; and cannot be transferred, with any appearance of probability, to the qualities of the mind...