Heaven

Heaven by Lisa Miller

Harper, 2010

248 pages

Religion

Source: From my local library

Summary: An examination of Western civilization's interaction with the concept of "heaven" particularly through the lens of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked seeing how notions of heaven evolved throughout the centuries to address the concerns of people (for example, the domestic idea of heaven as a place where we are reunited with family really only comes from the past two centuries). And I liked seeing how people throughout time have grappled with these questions. They're big and I think they're important but they can also seem overwhelming and difficult.

Personally I waver on what heaven is like. I believe in it but whether it's a giant library (my favorite) or an eternity worshipping God or something else, I'm not entirely sure.

My favorite story is from the Muslim tradition where in heaven a man's good works are stacked up high as a mountain but they are outweighed by one single gift from God to the man. I think that's very beautiful and so true; God's grace to us overwhelms anything we can do. I find that very humbling and spiritually satisfying.

Another thing I like is that Miller mentions how increasingly people believe that other people can make it to heaven even if they believe something different. I find that positive that even with all the conflict here, people still want other people saved for eternity.

Overall: 4 out of 5. Good job exploring this topic and sparking my imagination about it. It also gave me some titles to add to my list!