Beyond:
how humankind thinks about heaven
available now
What do we think of when we think about heaven? What might it look like? Who or what might be there?
Since humans began to huddle together for protection thousands of years ago, these questions have been part of how civilizations and cultures define heaven, the good place beyond this one. From Christianity to Islam to Hinduism and beyond, from the brush of Michelangelo to the pen of Dante, people across millennia have tried to explain and describe heaven in ways that are distinctive and analogous, unique and universal.
In this engrossing cultural history of heaven, Catherine Wolff delves into how people and cultures have defined heaven over the centuries. She describes how different faiths and religions have framed it, how the sense of heaven has evolved, and how nonreligious influences have affected it, from the Enlightenment to the increasingly nonreligious views of heaven today. Wolff looks deep into the accounts of heaven to discover what’s common among them and what makes each conception distinct and memorable. The result is Beyond, an engaging, thoughtful exploration of an idea that is central to our humanity and our desire to define an existence beyond death.
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Praise
“A broad survey of global and historical views of the post-life spiritual realm….Wolff wades deep into the murky waters of heaven, the afterlife, and unseen planes of being…. With eloquent reporting on various cultures and faiths, the author presents her work as “a history of hope” and an examination of “the ongoing collective exercise of the human imagination”… A soulful, far-reaching primer on what lies beyond.”
“Within this slim book, there is a capaciousness of soul. You don’t have to be a believer (which I decidedly am not) to admire the erudition and fine feeling Catherine Wolff brings to human musings and longings regarding the great beyond. ”
“This tour of heaven is... absolutely fascinating.”
“This spirited enquiry into the intriguing enigma of life after life is a revelation.”
“Beautifully curated…a reassuring guide for the spiritually curious.”
“ Elegant…wide-ranging…Spiritualists of any stripe will find much to ponder.”
“The finest overall book on the afterlife that I have every read.”
“Wolff’s sprawling book could almost function as a world religions text . . . [A]n enlightening read for those curious about what may happen after we die, whether they’re people of faith or not.”
“Is this all? With exquisite care, Catherine Wolff plumbs the human longing for a transcendent world, the perennial ground of incredible imaginings. This fine book - crossing boundaries of history and culture, time and belief - puts the question with power: Is the longing for some “beyond” a mere projection, or is it an inbuilt promise? Whatever else readers make of Catherine Wolff’s exhaustive survey of other worlds, they will come away from this celebration of an unflagging human hope - what she calls a “history of hope” - more firmly rooted in the world we have, this heaven on earth.”
Beyond has been published in the Netherlands by KokBoekencentrum.
Beyond is the Main Selection for the History Book Club in May, 2021. It will also be offered in the in Military, Library of Science, Literary Guild, Mystery Guild, Doubleday, Doubleday Large Print and One Spirit Book Clubs
