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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
medium-paced
This is a powerful exposition of Wright's deeply embodied eschatology. He attacks the common idea that the Christian hope is to "go to heaven," arguing instead that the Bible holds out the hope of a renewed bodily existence in a transformed heaven and earth. He's particularly good on the practical implications of this. We do not build the kingdom, but we are building for the kingdom. Efforts for social justice point toward God's final kingdom and contribute to it, although the Kingdom itself will only come through a sovereign act of God.
Some of the polemic weakens the book. I think he's too hard on the Christian Platonist tradition, and his claim that American dispensationalist eschatology is too spiritualizing actually runs counter to the facts in some respects. I think he's prone to overly simple dichotomies. But the book remains one of the best books on eschatology ever written.
Some of the polemic weakens the book. I think he's too hard on the Christian Platonist tradition, and his claim that American dispensationalist eschatology is too spiritualizing actually runs counter to the facts in some respects. I think he's prone to overly simple dichotomies. But the book remains one of the best books on eschatology ever written.
Re-read Nov/Dec 2014 -- The first read (a few years ago) completely changed my views about heaven. Re-reading, I was struck more by the second part of the book, where he talks about how a proper view of the resurrection should affect the way we live our lives here on earth. And how the point of the resurrection is NOT simply to "go to heaven when we die" but that God's kingdom has begun and we can be a part of it; our job is to proclaim the good news of his reign, and help bring God's kingdom from heaven to earth. With this in mind, everything we do matters. This view of the resurrection changes everything. I'll probably re-read (again) in a couple years.
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Completely changed my thinking about heaven. I'll have to read it again to retain it all.
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Completely changed my thinking about heaven. I'll have to read it again to retain it all.
5 stars for content—we are headed for resurrection and I want everyone to know it! (Great Advent read.) 3.5 stars for delivery.