Time has a thought-provoking interview with Bishop N T Wright about heaven. Ironically, I always associate Wright with being more conservative and traditional. My first exposure to his writing came over a decade ago when he was popularly known as a critic of the Jesus Seminar. He is hardly a left-wing agnostic.
Basically, he says that the popular Christian notion of heaven is mistaken. It is not a place of disembodied existence we go to after we die. The Bible describes a "life after life after death" of Jesus returning and restoring Creation - a merging of heaven and earth as described in the Book of Revelation. This has profound implications about how we live our lives now.
Check it out.
Hi Don. I'm reading a book right now on this very subject, "Surprised by Hope". Christians, in general, get very nervous if the age-old doctrine of floating off to heaven as a disembodied spirit is tampered with. Yet, the focus of the scriptures, and even of Jesus' resurrection, is not leaving the world behind but, rather, a new creation. I am thankful that there are brave souls out there willingly to challenge tradition teachings against what the scriptures say.
BTW, thank you for all of your sermons online. I have listened to about half of them and thoroughly enjoy them. Like you, Marcus Borg has helped me to recapture or re-invision my faith in a more meaningful and/or transformative way.
Blessings,
Bill Mc
Posted by: Bill McCracken | April 16, 2008 at 02:57 PM