Readings on Life-Death-Resurrection: Three Authors Reflect
Reviewed by Dr. Susan K. Hedahl

Amid the current spate of books written by agnostic and atheist authors, come two volumes which invite readers to consider the historical riches of views on belief, specifically views of earth and heaven - within the Judeo-Christian faith perspectives.  The first is:  Surprised by Hope:  Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N. T. Wright (New York: HarperOne:  2008) Pp. 332. Cloth.

Wright is a well-known biblical scholar and Bishop of Durham, Church of England.  This work, as indicated by the title, makes for some interesting connections between life and afterlife in terms of the Church’s mission.  One phrase from this work that is often heard is” “life after life after death.”  This author’s work is a heady mixture of good scholarship, keen assessments of public life and faith and reflections of a creative thinker.  He also simply writes in a beguiling and loving fashion.  Who can resist this comment about how the Church might re-think our celebration of Easter?  “It ought to be an eight-day festival, with champagne served after morning prayer or even before, with lots of alleluias and extra hymns and spectacular anthems.  Is it any wonder people find it hard to believe in the resurrection of Jesus if we don’t throw out hats in the air? Is it any wonder we find it hard to live the resurrection if we don’t do it exuberantly in our liturgies?  (256)

The first few chapters sort out the general muddle among Christians in terms of their views on the so-called after-life.  Sad to say misuse of biblical texts, the omission of insights from others and the addled theology of many hymn texts on ‘heaven’ have all added up to what Wright considers a set of serious misunderstandings on the meanings of resurrection. The proposals he makes to readjust these views are definitely needed in today’s church, whether they affect change in preaching, evangelism, conduct of the funeral service or the engagement of Christians in daily life.

This work is a wonderful read and this reviewer will not spoil it by saying much more except to observe this:  what would you think of an author who proposed thinking about resurrection in terms of these three dynamics:  justice, beauty, evangelism?  

Another work features the co-authors of: Resurrection: The Power of God for Christians and Jews by Kevin J. Madigan and Jon D. Levenson. New Haven:  Yale University Press, 2008), Pp. 284. Cloth.

This work is an amazing historical review of Jewish and Christian views on life, death and resurrection.   Some crucial historical concepts in scripture are described in detail such as “Sheol,” the Temple in Jerusalem as the Garden of Eden, and the role of Gnosticism in relationship to developing Jewish and Christian views of resurrection.

Each author gives in-depth attention to key texts in both testaments which are reflections of developing views on resurrection in Christian and Jewish sources respectively.  The amazing inter-textuality of different passages is detailed well so readers can better understand how Jewish and Christian views built on one another’s insights and did not simply develop in parallel fashion.