Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife

An illuminating summary of the development of the Christian conception of the afterlife. Ehrman traces humanity's ideas of the great unknown all the way from Gilgamesh to the first few centuries of Christian thought. Along the way he compellingly argues that theology has demonstrably changed over time in response to historical circumstances. Ehrman goes through the Bible with the eye of a historian, contrasting what he believes Jesus actually preached to the words he asserts were later attributed to the religious leader. The prospective reader should note that the book only deals with the Christian afterlife, as opposed to the afterlife of Islam or other traditions, in depth; there is a brief reference to Egyptian mythology in comparison to the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man from the Gospel of Luke, but that's all we get regarding concurrent religious developments. However, I do not think that the book would have been improved by broadening its scope beyond the author's areas of expertise.

Ehrman concludes Heaven and Hell with a surprisingly touching afterword about his personal beliefs surrounding death. If you are a Christian or ex-Christian, I can practically promise that this book will make you see your beliefs about the afterlife in a new light, whatever those beliefs may be. The author's rare combination of academic rigor and an approachable style makes it very easy for me to recommend this text to anyone interested in religion. I intend to return to this author.