An alternative view of the afterlife
586604
The writing keeps you involved in the story. Fast paced and always engaging I really enjoyed the characters. Well worth the read
4073002
This little book is a total joy to read. I know that the author makes it very clear that one should not suppose that he is factually presenting details of the afterlife, yet, in the end he has created a most satisfying image of a plausible afterlife. As for the title, he is referring to the poet-mystic William Blake's  Marriage of Heaven and Hell. He points out that this is a synthesis that can never be, for to do so would compromise the absolute Goodness of Heaven, thereby making a Hell of both. Perhaps there can one day be a marriage of Heaven and Earth (thereby showing both to really have been Heaven all along), but never of Heaven and Hell.

I loved the imagery of Hell being very much like a never-ending city on Earth where it is always twilight and eternal night always on the verge. Yet, it is not a crowded city for people keep moving apart because they cannot stand each other's presence. That's just it. People dwell in Hell by their own choice. It is the obsessions that separate them from God and the highest reality that keep them from leaving. It is even shown that such higher impulses as love and pity, if unhealthily indulged in for their own sake and for nothing higher or transcendent, can keep you in Hell. Yet, this Hell is also Purgatory for those who workout their obsessions. In fact, there is a regular bus service to Heaven for fieldtrips that serve just that purpose (I always suspected that the omnibus originated in Hades.)

As for Heaven, it is perpetually just the moment before dawn and eternal day. The idea that Heaven is actually more substantial than Hell, or Earth, is reasonable, since it is after all the more Real of the two being closer to the Creator. Indeed, the visitors from Hell appear as pale and insubstantial deformed ghosts who find the adamantine hardness and density of the higher plane physically painful (even walking upon the grass.) The residents of the realm however are radiant spirits who do everything that they can to point out the mistakes and illusions that the ghostly visitors still cling to- and which are the only thing keeping them from traveling higher up and farther in to the one true goal. The most detailed and believable of these tutelary spirits is Lewis' own spriritual mentor, George Macdonald.
1523162
I made two assumptions about this book before reading it:  a) that it would be a book about spirituality (since a Rabbi wrote it) and b) that it would be about death and mourning.  While there is certainly allusion to  both of these, I found it much more compelling as a work of psychology, an  archaeology of "loss" as an existential proposition rather than  some vacuous "how to cope" cheer.  For those that eschew the  popular self-help canon, this book is a compelling resource as it grounds  its propositions in the wisdom of historical, secular literary figures as  well the usual roll call from the Torah and Talmud, and tempers the  admixture with sensitivity and common sense.  The book's uplifting quality  results not just from the reiteration of the sages, but from its baseline  humanity, the degree to which it addresses the decent human being coming to  terms with mediocrity, foolishness, defects of character, and/or miscarried  hopes that drain the optimism from the average life.  The reconciliation it  ultimately espouses, the "making loss matter" aspect, reinvests  the individual with the perspective necessary to manage not just the  "big deaths," but the more subtle demises, the death-by-papercut  drainage of our happiness, individuality, and sense of connection to  something greater than ourselves.
1188348
Near death experiences are fascinating because they seem to provide some evidence that what we see is not all there is. The NDE described by Jon Mundy in the first chapters of this book is a new take on what it may feel like to experience death and living to tell about it. One always reads about the overwhelming beauty (see "Proof of Heaven") and pull to remain in "heaven" (see "To Heaven and Back" and "Dying to be Me"). Even children have described it (see "Heaven is Real").  But Jon Mundy's take is a little different (but not incompatible). He describes the comprehensible fear that an unprepared ego may experience if it is not yet ready to "meet its maker." The author tells with clarity the experience of terror that comes when being forced to let go of the body when one still firmly believes that one's identity is only encapsulated in that body. Anyone familiar with the beautiful teachings of The Course in Miracles will understand the importance of forgiveness, and letting go of every grievance, including the error that one is a body rather than a spiritual being, in order to prepare oneself for bodily death and eternity. Jon Mundy's work gives seekers lots of bits to chew on.
4180989
Let me say first that Jerry Walls has a very engaging writing style  probably important to emphasize since he is a professor of philosophy and a scholar. He writes well. I resonated with his biblical and Protestant views of heaven and hell. He argues these truths from Scripture through the lens of philosophy. Well done.

He also wrestles through a plausible view of purgatory that is shared by a lesser number of Protestants. Rather than the traditional Catholic view of purgatory as satisfaction for our sins, Walls presents a sanctification view. In essence since most believers in Christ are not holy as God is holy when they die, they still need a completed sanctification process after death before they can fully share in the glories of heaven and see God face to face.

Though Walls makes a strong case philosophically, unlike the voice of authority he uses from the Word of God in writing about heaven and hell, he leans heavily upon the authority of C.S. Lewis. The clear and numerous Scripture texts that articulate the doctrine of purgatory  unlike the doctrines of heaven and hell  are missing.

Of course, the notion of purgatory intersects with another series of questions including what about those who never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Walls thus proposes the possibility for some or even a few post-mortem conversions. One unanswered issue that I would like to address with Jerry Walls, however, is that people die the way they live. As people grow older, they have a hardening of the attitudes. Even if they are sitting in hell and see the glories of heaven from a distance and desire to be there, their sin remains and keeps them locked in their own prison separated from God. Why would a person who has rejected God for a lifetime, even with the light they did have, be forced to spend eternity with a God that never wanted to know and love? Of course, Walls wants to hope that under these new conditions some will change their mind. But without the power of the gospel present in the dominion of hell and no one to proclaim the good news to them, how will they know what is really true and good and beautiful?

Still, Im grateful for Walls explanation of purgatory from a Protestant viewpoint. Most Protestants have not wrestled with this component of our sanctification. Will our completed sanctification really be instantaneous upon death or will there still be a process of transformation that makes us fully fit for heaven and the intensity of the fullness of God forever? Finally, I loved Jerrys chapter on heaven  that will preach  and his defense of hell is outstanding!
4170916
(I'm 14 and writing this on my moms account)
This was a pretty good book. Mary Roach thoroughly looks at every theory about what happens when we die, and investigates each one deeply, leaving you to decide which one you believe. She is skeptical of each one, and isn't pushing anyone to believe one thing, or any of them. It was very interesting and I would definitely read it if you are interested in the afterlife and what happens when we die.
1697194
This book was like the history of the subject afterlife.  It taught you the about how different religeons believe in the afterlife, and the scientific evidence that's been collected. Very interesting if you have every questioned it.
4769757
Johnson has done an excellent job of reviewing the Old Testament view on death and the afterlife.  I have often been puzzled at what seem to be contradictions in the scripture's view of Sheol, and this works seems to prove that my bewilderment was quite appropriate.  It seems that the author's conclusion is that writers of the Old Testament weren't all that concerned with death and the afterlife, focusing on their relationship with Yahweh in the current life.  It seems that much of the focus on death and the afterlife occurred in the inter-testamental period and quite possibly reflected the Hebrew exposure to Persian and Greek cultures.
Although dry and academic in parts, overall this is a well done and well written work.  If you are interested in Sheol, or "The Pit", this is a great place to start.
2815762
This books potential readership falls into three categories:

1. Those who are convinced there is an afterlife.
2. Those who are convinced that life ends with the death of our body.
3. Those who think there must be something beyond our material existence but have no experience on which to base this belief.

Eben Alexd claims he wrote this book for those in category 3, in which I am included.

Proof of Heaven confirms much of what William Bray discloses in Quantum Physics, Near Death Experiences, Eternal Consciousness, Religion, and the Human Soul, but there the resemblance ends. Bray's unfocused memoir is virtually impenetrable to anyone who isn't a physics scholar. If not for the monumentality of the subject matter I would have given up on it. In spite of the Bray's scientific credentials, the sloppiness of his writing casts a shadow on his credibility.

Eben Alexander, on the other hand, has gone to the time and trouble of writing a book that is a pleasure, rather than a chore, to read. Proof of Heaven is clean, clear, precise, and credible. The author neatly balances the facts of his personal history and family background, with his "adventure" in the non-material world. For this reader, Proof of Heaven was a life altering experience. At 78 years of age, death has morphed from hypothetical to an imminent inevitability. It was therefore a comfort to be reassured by someone who has plunged into the abyss and survived to tell the tale. The message Eben Alexander delivers is a familiar one: 'Good News, God is Love.'

True, his (admittedly inadequate) description of the afterlife (i.e. "heaven") is not entirely a pretty picture but anything is preferable to oblivion. Right?

Right?
792157
Testimony of Light by Helen Greaves is a book about communication she received from her good friend, Francis Banks, formerly known as Sister Frances Mary of the Community of the Resurrection. When Frances died, she promised to communicate, telepathically, from the other side of the "veil." In Helen's book, she describes a message from Frances that death is not to be feared, for it is not the end. "Death of the body is but a gentle passing to a much freer life." Our soul is then gently, "cleansed, healed and released," as we continue through various stages of transition toward "The Light."  She explains that our earthly bodies and personality continue to transform thru many levels or planes of light, which she describes as having different vibrational frequencies, until we are eventually one with "The Light." She then goes on to use this reasoning for such statements as Christ's words, 'I am the Light of the World," for he projects pure light and as people transform, they "Let their light shine."
These words are very comforting for people who continue to ask if there is an afterlife. However, her description of the afterlife broken up into various groups who are set to perform various jobs, etc are a bit difficult to conceptualize.  Certainly, this view of the afterlife differs from what we are taught and led to believe in various churches or religions. Testimony of Light is an interesting concept of the afterlife and touches on the possibility of reincarnation and the reasons why some may have that experience.
The book and the message it puts forth will certainly test your faith and ideas of the afterlife. Some parts of her theory are difficult to understand. The book should be read slowly and perhaps a second time before forming an opinion.
3133026
A woman dies and awakes in a pre-heaven state.  She is required to view and experience her past four life's.  These four stories teach her how her soul has evolved.  This is an interesting book,  regardless of your beliefs.
3431750
In an era when religion's malignancy is becoming increasingly apparent, we urgently need to be shown that spirituality is quite compatible with a rational, scientific, areligious worldview. This task has been taken on by some very good books recently, notably "The Problem of the Soul" by the philosopher Owen Flanagan and "The Sacred Depths of Nature" by the biologist Ursula Goodenough. Another excellent addition to this genre is "What Is Death?" by the biologist Tyler Volk. He begins his narrative on a personal note, describing how a near-death experience left him anxiously pondering his mortality. We then follow him as he explores death from many different perspectives-genetic, neurological, ecological, cultural-and eventually arrives at a better understanding of how vital death is to life. Particularly fascinating is Volk's discussion of recent research showing how death influences our thoughts and behavior even when we are not consciously thinking about it, often by making us cling more tightly to our beliefs. These findings obviously have tremendous relevance for understanding post-9/11 events. "What Is Death?" has not entirely dissolved my fear of mortality; I don't think any book could do that. But after reading it, I felt more sympathy with the lines that end Robinson Jeffers's great poem "Night": "A few centuries/Gone by, was none dared not to people/The darkness beyond the stars with harps and habitations./But now, dear is the truth. Life is grown sweeter and lonelier,/And death is no evil."
2337128
I would like to give this book a 4.5 star rating for being well written and for holding my attention very well. The pictures that it drew in my mind will remain with me, I am sure. Although I do not agree with some of the conceptions of Hell depicted in the story ( I believe in a loving and forgiving God ), I can imagine that there are those who will say "yep that is It". I liked the book "The Shack" better for its description of heaven and the way the Lord works in our lives, but I must say that this story was a more in depth idea of the concept of life and its rewards in the afterlife. The author hints in the prolog that divine inspiration may have been at play in the writing of this novel, but I submit that the author was more influenced by his own imigination than that of the Lord. You should read to see if you agree or disagree with me. In the authors defense I will say that he presented it as a work of fiction (but then aren't all human endeavours such? Think about this, our history, philosophy, text books, even our bank statements and surely our income tax return.) In all I enjoyed the reading. Sorry I digress.
jasbond
3071712
Reading this book was interesting becasue his discussion of "Paradise" as being an intermediate state between death and ressurection. This is exactly on point with LDS belief on what happens after death.

The concept of "Paradise" as being an intermediate state, as articulated by N.T. Wright, is clearly explained in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Book-of-Mormon-Another-Testament-of-Jesus-Christ-Official-Edition/dp/0967686563/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Official Edition)</a>&nbsp;in chapter 40 of the Book of Alma.

The Book of Mormon, first published in 1830, clearly teaches that "there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection"(Alma 40:9) and that "concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection--Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." (Alma 40:11)

Now,  N.T's Wright isn't LDS but a Angelican Christian. I don't know how Mr. Wright feels about an "LDS" reading/interpretation of his book in which one LDS reader sees much agreement between his book and LDS theology. Perhaps he would be happy by it or maybe he would be unhappy with the fact that his book happens to broadly reflect LDS theology on Heaven, Paradise and other theological issues of life after death.

I hope he understands my respect and enjoyment in his book and that it was refreshing to read this book since he provides well thought out explanation of Christian beliefs and uses evidence to back up his ideas. For me personally, I enjoyed it because much of what he explained in the book just happen to line up with LDS theology on life after death.
4812751
Mr. Penca offers a thought-provoking view of the world and spirituality. Those who dare think beyond the narrow doctrines taught to them since birth--that their religion and value systems are the only right ones--will enjoy pondering the possiblities set forth in this book. If we could adapt the basic concepts put forth here, perhaps we would have fewer wars and less human conflict. I am still trying to wrap my head around the concept of a Divine Universe, but I think Mr. Penca is 'right on' when it comes to the general philosophy desribed in the pages of "Because I Am."
2323187
This is a refreshing take on the afterlife and spirituality in general. The Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo's warm and earthy tone and bubbly personality makes her the kind of person you'd want to have coffee with just to hear her talk about shoes and pasta sauce, mediumship completely aside. Statements like, "On the Other Side, you are literally part of God," like "ornamentson a Christmas tree" help us to understand abstract concepts in a concrete way.

Much of this book is dedicated to the techniques that Theresa has learned to hone her gift as well as ways we can become receptive to the presence of our departed loved ones, protects ourselves from negative energy (or evil, if you like, e.g. declaring "Only Spirits who walk in the white light of God are welcome here. All negative energies must leave by the power of God"), and heal from a loved one's death. She also explains a great deal about energy and how it relates to communication between the living and the departed.

There's More to Life Than This joins the bestselling trio of Proof of Heaven (Alexander), 90 Minutes in Heaven (Piper), Heaven Is For Real (Burpo). In contrast to the latter two that stand firmly in the Evangelical Protestant tradition, Theresa asserts that her mission from God is to restore fragile faith in the divine by reconnecting loved ones on both sides of the veil, to heal hearts broken by death, and to spread the message of love and unity. She perceives her Catholic upbringing as merely her personal perceptual framework and asserts that God, the Source, whatever you want to call the divine, transcends the divisions of religion.

This book is a breath of fresh air, full of hope, love, tears, and laughter, highly recommended for popular consumption.
638621
Roberta Grimes shares a lifetime of research on the afterlife and her personal "light experiences", helping you alleviate worrying about dying or the loss of a loved one. She shares scientific studies by Gary E. Schwartz in his 2002 book, The Afterlife Experiments and also concepts from quantum physics as related to the afterlife phenomena allowing us to realize more about the energy component of our physical being that survives what is thought of as physical death... "Consciousness survives physical death" and those souls in Spirit wish us to know they are well, alive and exploring a new realm of life. READ THIS BOOK in order to connect your religious insights with your soul insights to understand your place in the Universal Mind, or Oneness of Being.