Reddit reviews Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church
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NT Wright has a great book on this topic called "Surprised by Hope" http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Hope-N-T-Wright-ebook/dp/B0010SIPOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397096717&sr=8-1&keywords=surprised+hope
It has the best description I have read about this issue from a Christian Perspective (and... it actually IS pretty surprising!). I did not find that it clashed my own beliefs in science, etc... indeed, it clarified them.
> if Earth is not our real home
Earth is our real home, in some sense. Heaven as most people think of it is the antechamber of the New Creation. (Ever read The Silmarillion? That's what the Halls of Mandos are.) In any case, the New Creation is the current creation redeemed. We are not disembodied souls if we are saved---we are resurrected, body and soul. In the Nicene Creed that's what the line "the resurrection of the body" refers to.
For more on this, read N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope. It's a pretty brief read.
I always wondered why N.T. Wright didn't see that he was right at the threshold of Universalism refusing to cross over. I remember reading one particular quote from "Surprised By Hope" and thinking "you're almost there! You've opened the door, just step inside!" The quote:
>Likewise, the majestic but mysterious ending of the Revelation of John leaves us with fascinating and perhaps frustrating hints of future purposes, further work of which the eventual new creation is just the beginning. The description of the New Jerusalem in chapters 21 and 22 is quite clear that some categories of people are “outside”: the dogs, the fornicators, those who speak and make lies. But then, just when we have in our minds a picture of two nice, tidy categories, the insiders and the outsiders, we find that the river of the water of life flows out of the city; that growing on either bank is the tree of life, not a single tree but a great many; and that “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” There is a great mystery here, and all our speaking about God’s eventual future must make room for it. This is not at all to cast doubt on the reality of final judgment for those who have resolutely worshiped and served the idols that dehumanize us and deface God’s world. It is to say that God is always the God of surprises.
Surprised by Hope by NT Wright.
Along with his scholarly work on the Resurrection, The Resurrection of the Son of God, quite literally changed the way I looks at my faith.
My current favorite is Surprised by Hope. I like to leaf through it a little bit at a time. His writing is very accessible and not overly heavy or ponderous. I find this book very comforting.
A dear friend gave me a copy of The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down. It's also fun to read a few pages at a time. Just some brief meditations/observations. Very easy read, not heavy.
For lighthearted fun I like to read a little bit of Rumpole. I have most of these on my shelf and on my Kindle and Nook books. I also like to watch the DVD's of the old BBC series. I think Leo McKern is an excellent Rumpole. I like that the TV adaptations are very much true to the books.
I also like to read some Bertie Wooster and Jeeves stories. They are easy to pick up and put down. I enjoy the light-hearted and gentle humor of these. I like most of the Wodehouse stuff, but my favorites include Jeeves and Wooster. Here's another one I like to watch the DVDs. Hugh Laurie as Bertie and Stephen Fry as Jeeves are really enjoyable, and also true to the books.
I highly recommend reading some N.T. Wright. He does a good job informing the origins of modern Evangelical/Fundamentalist views on eschatology (e.g. the rapture and end of the world).
http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-by-Hope-ebook/dp/B0010SIPOY
Honestly changed my world view.
The Rapture is unbiblical, but I wouldn't say it's the worst thing to believe. It's just not in the Bible. Ask anyone who believes it to show you where they find it in the Bible. They won't be able to point to anything other than a few disconnected verses (like 1 Thess 4:16-18) that can be cleared up by a little cultural and literary context.
As far as actually engaging people concerning this idea, I'd recommend actually opening the Bible and seeing what it says, not just in a few verses, but in general. And not just in Revelation, either. Jesus talks about the New Creation, and he never once mentions the Rapture or the Tribulation, or any of that silly Left Behind nonsense.
Recommended reading:
Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright
Recommended listening:
Revelation lectures, by Shane J. Wood
Recommended watching:
Revelation, by The Bible Project