Journeys to Heaven and Hell - Tours of the Afterlife in the Early Christian Tradition (Paperback)

A New York Times bestselling scholar’s illuminating exploration of the earliest Christian narrated journeys to heaven and hell   “[An] illuminating deep dive . . . An edifying origin story for contemporary Christian conceptions of the afterlife.�—Publishers Weekly   From classics such as the Odyssey and the Aeneid to fifth-century Christian apocrypha, narratives that described guided tours of the afterlife played a major role in shaping ancient notions of morality and ethics. In this new account, acclaimed author Bart Ehrman contextualizes early Christian narratives of heaven and hell within the broader intellectual and cultural worlds from which they emerged. He examines how fundamental social experiences of the early Christian communities molded the conceptions of the afterlife that eventuated into the accepted doctrines of heaven, hell, and purgatory.   Drawing on Greek and Roman epic poetry, early Jewish writings such as the Book of Watchers, and apocryphal Christian stories including the Acts of Thomas, the Gospel of Nicodemus, and the Apocalypse of Peter, Ehrman demonstrates that ancient tours of the afterlife promoted reflection on matters of ethics, faith, ambition, and life’s meaning, the fruit of which has been codified into Christian belief today.

General

Imprint:	Yale University Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	February 2023
Authors:	Bart D. Ehrman
Dimensions:	235 x 156mm (L x W)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	344
ISBN-13:	978-0-300-27104-1
Categories:	Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > Comparative religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > Comparative religion Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Promotions
LSN:	0-300-27104-2
Barcode:	9780300271041

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!