Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by Tom Wright.

Alan Writes – As a student of “Hope” I was keen to get a copy of Tom Wright’s latest (truth be told he’s probably written two more by now) book. I have already mentioned this title here but what I have read so far excites me enough to want to comment further.

The essence of the book is summed up in the opening pages:

“This book addresses two questions . . . (1) what is the ultimate Christian hope? (2) What hope is there for change, rescue, transformation, new possibilities within the world in the present?

Wright’s primary response can be put like this: as long as we see ‘Christian hope’ in terms of ‘going to heaven’, of a ‘salvation’ which is essentially away from this world, then the two questions are bound to appear as unrelated. . . But if the ‘Christian hope’ is for God’s new creation, for ‘new heavens and new earth’ (Rev 21) – and if that hope has already come to life in Jesus of Nazareth – then there is every reason to join the two questions together (p5).”

From here he deals with issues like paradise, Easter, the cosmic future, heaven, hell, judgement, purgatory, space, time, matter etc.

Part I of Surprised by Hope should be read by anybody wanting a level-headed but impassioned defence of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There are reviews here, here, and here.

The British edition is a paperback, while the American edition is a hardcover.

Comments

[Andrew]

I LOVE a quote I heard from Tom Wright when he was speaking of the Christian obsession about heaven (and I've quoted often since): "Heaven is not the end of the world"...

[Alan Jamieson]

great quote. I hadn't heard it before. Thanks Andrew