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Full Description
Does heaven exist? If so, what is it like? And how does one get in? Throughout history, painters, poets, philosophers, pastors, and many ordinary people have pondered these questions. Perhaps no other topic captures the popular imagination quite like heaven. In this book, Gary Scott Smith looks at heaven through an American lens, tracing the history of heaven in the American imagination from the Puritans to the present. Concepts of heaven, he argues, are ever-changing, constantly adapting to the spirit of the age. In the colonial era, heaven focused primarily on the glory of God. For the Victorians, heaven was a warm comfortable home where people would live forever with their family and friends. Today, heaven has less Christian identity; many see it as a celestial entertainment center or a paradise where everyone can reach their full potential. Drawing on an astounding array of sources, including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, and devotional books, Smith paints a sweeping, provocative portrait of what Americans--from Jonathan Edwards to Mitch Albom--have thought about heaven.
Contents
Preface Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. The Puritans: Celebrating the Glory of Heaven Chapter 3. Jonathan Edwards and the First Great Awakening: Heaven Is a World of Love Chapter 4. The Early National Era and the Second Great Awakening: The Founders, Assaults on Orthodoxy, and Revival Chapter 5. Heaven as Home: The Victorians and Heaven, 1830-1870; Family, Friends, and Fellowship Chapter 6. Slavery, the Civil War, and Heaven Chapter 7. Heaven in the Gilded Age: Dwight Moody and the Princes of the Pulpit Chapter 8. Heaven in the Progressive Years: The Social Gospel, Urban Revivalism, and Theological Liberalism; Personal Growth, Service, and Reform Chapter 9. Heaven from the Roaring Twenties to the Fabulous Fifties Chapter 10. Heaven, 1960-2000: New Trends and Revived Themes Chapter 11. The Contemporary Scene: Heaven Today Chapter 12. Conclusion