Heaven: Why It Matters Here and Now Have we forgotten heaven? Bestselling author and pastor Brian Zahnd invites us to remember heaven, to experience and embrace the divine mystery of the spiritual realm in this lifetime. This slow and steady progression of a deeper Christian faith that draws us nearer to God-a "pilgrimage of the soul"-fosters in us a love for both the heavenly and the earthly. For too long, the conversation about heaven has been caught between two extremes. On one hand, there is the shallow "escapist" theology that reduces salvation to a reservation for the afterlife, unconcerned with God's good earth or issues of justice in the world. On the other hand, many of us have overcorrected, hyperfocusing on the here and now and losing sight of the spiritual reality beyond-a fatal mistake if our Christianity is to have a compelling message in the twenty-first century. Our faith must once again speak confidently and humbly about the reality of the spiritual world-the reality of unseen existences. In Unseen Existences, you'll find
- a fresh way of looking at heaven that pushes back against extremes, - a vision for life as a pilgrimage to our true home in heaven and union with God, and - encouragement to persevere through the injustices of this world with hope. Unseen Existences will help you renew your faith, expand your perspective, and re-embrace the divine mystery of heaven. Though life can be uncertain and unjust, our pilgrimage is preparing us for the world to come, where we will see Christ face-to-face. With the company of our Helper, Advocate, and Comforter, we press on, trusting he will lead us home.
"The notion, let alone the hope, of heaven has disappeared from most of our theology. In Unseen Existences, Brian Zahnd offers cynical and materialistic people a path to reclaiming and reimagining heaven as well as all that was and will be.I found this book to be deeply comforting without being fuzzy or saccharine or easily cross-stitched on a pillow. It's the kind of hope that generations of fellow Christians knew well and held in trust for our generation now. Hopeful and filled with wonder, this is a beautiful and robust theology of life as pilgrimage with a home waiting for us at the end."
Sarah Bessey, author of Field Notes for the Wilderness and A Rhythm of Prayer
"In Unseen Existences, Brian Zahnd directs our eyes beyond the fractious cultural moment to our eternal hope-a hope glimpsed only through the thin veil. Here he names heaven as our true home and country of citizenship; he names our ineffable longing for the transcendent; and like a true shepherd, he names the difficulty of the journey on this side of eternity. All the while, he spares us the sentimentality and sensationalism that so often accompany books about heaven. Once again, Zahnd lands a bull's-eye."
Michael John Cusick, author of Sacred Attachment and Surfing for God
"In our modern, materialistic age, the church needs to be re-enchanted: We need to remember that we are a people who live in light of unseen existences. In this thoughtful meditation, Brian Zahnd helps us to cultivate an imagination for what this re-enchantment looks like. This book is an invitation to not only believe more deeply but to walk more confidently in the hope of heaven. Read it and let your heart be kindled."
Hannah Miller King, Anglican priest and author of Feasting on Hope
