The Quest for Paradise: Visions of Heaven and Eternity in
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Ashton, John / Whyte, Tom, PUBLISHER: HarperOne, In every culture, in every epoch, human beings have yearned for ong>heavenong> -- ong>theong> dwelling place ong>ofong> ong>theong> gods, mirror ong>ofong> our hopes and desires. Now, in "ong>Theong> Quest for Paradise," renowned scholar John Ashton and his colleague Tom Whyte ong>ofong>fer an intriguing look at how we have thought ong>ofong> and envisioned ong>heavenong> and ong>theong> afterlife, from ong>theong> ancient cultures ong>ofong> Egypt, Greece, and Rome, to ong>theong> Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, as well as ong>theong> indigenous peoples ong>ofong> ong>theong> Americas, Australia, and Africa.Lavishly illustrated with extensive depictions ong>ofong> ong>heavenong> in art from around ong>theong> world, and drawing on scriptures, myths, epics, poems, novels, philosophy, and oong>theong>r writings from many cultures, "ong>Theong> Quest for Paradise" illuminates ong>theong> vast spectrum ong>ofong> beliefs about ong>theong> world beyond. ong>Theong> book also explores ong>theong> concept ong>ofong> utopia, or paradise on earth, from ong>theong> perspective ong>ofong> such diverse thinkers as H.G. Wells, D.H. Lawrence, Margaret Mead, and Aldous Huxley.Ashton and Whyte present a fascinating array ong>ofong> ancient and modern views ong>ofong> ong>heavenong>. Included are extraordinary inhabitants and geographical features, representing scenes from works such as "ong>Theong> Odyssey," ong>theong> Bible, ong>theong> Quran, and ong>theong> "Sukhavativyuha Sutras," and from ong>theong> works ong>ofong> writers such as Hesiod, Ovid, Virgil, Dante, Milton, and Yeats, highlighting both ong>theong> diversity and ong>theong> universality ong>ofong> reflection on ong>heavenong>.