Who Goes There

Rebecca Janney Pendulum swings - we find them in history and faith; shifts in sensibility from one extreme to another. I've noticed this in Christian interest in 'the afterlife.' For the past several years, folks in the emergent/missional conversation have been more interested in the Gospel dimensions of the 'here' than they have the 'hereafter.' Sometimes, a friendly - and knowledgeable - voice comes along to challenge pendulum swings in an attempt to bring balance. Rebecca Price Janney is one such voice, reminding us why heaven & hell are such big deals in historical Christian faith. Princess Diana, John Ritter, Saddam Hussein, Mother Teresa, Chris Farley... Does it seem reasonable to guess where each of these people ended up after they died? While it's comforting to suppose that everyone who's "good" goes to a better place when they die, and everyone who's "bad" doesn't, what on heaven & earth is such hope based? To adequately understand how these thoughts influence us today, Rebecca Price Janney goes back to the colonization and founding of the United States. From the Great Awakening to the American Revolution, through the tumultuous 19th century, and all the way past two world wars and a technological revolution, Who Goes There? Pieces together a thoughtful narrative of American beliefs about the afterlife. We have, for the most part, attempted to loosen ourselves from the beliefs of the past when it comes to the afterlife. We have found the leftovers appetizing, picking and choosing whatever parts of whatever paths suit our needs. But how do our beliefs about heaven and hell square with Scripture and history? This is the lively discussion Who Goes There? invites. DR. REBECCA PRICE JANNEY is a theologically trained historian and the author of 16 books including Who Goes There: A Cultural History of Heaven and Hell, Great Women in American History, Great Stories in American History, Harriet Tubman, and two young adult series as well as hundreds of articles in magazines and newspapers. A graduate of Lafayette College, and Princeton Seminary, Rebecca received her doctorate from Biblical Seminary.  She resides with her husband and son in suburban Philadelphia. [hide] TITLE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Moody Press went all-out in producing a top notch video teaser for the book that you'll actually want to watch (& embed in your blog post): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31q4o-twdYU [1] The book has a full-service site here: http://whogoestherebook.com [2] A PDF excerpt, if you'd like to post it for readers: http://www.moodypublishers.com/Media/MediaLibrary/WhoGoesThereExcerpt.pdf [3] Interview Availability: Dr. Janney is available for a limited number of blog and podcast interviews. You'll get her email address if you select Who Goes There? for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about Who Goes There? within 30 days of getting it. Please copy & paste your post right here, below! Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31q4o-twdYU [2] http://whogoestherebook.com/ [3] http://www.moodypublishers.com/Media/MediaLibrary/WhoGoesThereExcerpt.pdf