Heaven and Hell

A History of the Afterlife

By: Bart D. Ehrman, Bart D. Ehrman - preface

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

A New York Times bestselling historian of early Christianity takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence: where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from and why do they endure?

What happens when we die? A recent Pew Research poll showed that 72% of Americans believe in a literal heaven and 58% believe in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. But eternal rewards and punishments are found nowhere in the Old Testament and are not what Jesus or his disciples taught.

So where did these ideas come from?

In this “eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), Bart Ehrman recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for those who are damned. Some of these accounts take the form of near death experiences, the oldest on record, with intriguing similarities to those reported today.

One of Ehrman’s startling conclusions is that there never was a single Greek, Jewish, or Christian understanding of the afterlife, but numerous competing views. Moreover, these views did not come from nowhere; they were intimately connected with the social, cultural, and historical worlds out of which they emerged. Only later, in the early Christian centuries, did they develop into notions of eternal bliss or damnation widely accepted today.

In this “elegant history” (The New Yorker), Ehrman helps us reflect on where our ideas of the afterlife come from. With his “richly layered narrative” (The Boston Globe) he assures us that even if there may be something to hope for when we die, there certainly is nothing to fear.

If you are someone scared of dying, you need this

Loved it. Went through it in less than a week. Raised evangelical, I thought H&H were as real as this life. Not to say they are not real at all, but knowing more about the history of it's development as an idea, prepares you better to know what you actually believe to be true, or more like a wish.

Erhman hit it out of the park.

Every informed American should read this book.

All though tedious in places, the author makes up for it in the final statements.

Very thorough...rethink life as living

Ejrman is very thorough in his approach. if you approach this book without bias, you discover wonderful truths about all of us. you experi3nce the fear created by those who perpetuate heaven and hel and distort the interpretations of scriptures and religious writings. this has been a wonderful revalation for me at this time.

Excellent research but repeats himself a lot

He is an expert on biblical studies and the book is no exception but repeats himself a lot.

Bart is the best

This book is so concise in its presentation and thorough in its research. Ehrman never disappoints.