Surprised by Hope

內容簡介

Part 1. Setting the scene. All dressed up and no place to go?: Introduction -- Confusion about hope : the wider world -- Varieties of belief -- Puzzled about paradise? Christian confusion about hope -- Exploring the options -- The effects of confusion -- Wider implications of confusion -- The key questions -- Early Christian hope in its historical setting: Introduction -- Resurrection and life after death in ancient paganism and Judaism -- The surprising character of early Christian hope -- The strange story of Easter: Stories without precedent -- Easter and history -- Conclusion -- Part 2. God's future plan. Cosmic future : progress or despair?: Introduction -- Option 1: evolutionary optimism -- Option 2L souls in transit -- What the whole world's waiting for: Introduction -- Fundamental structures of hope -- Seedtime and harvest -- The victorious battle -- Citizens of heaven : colonizing the earth -- God will be all in all -- New birth -- The marriage of heaven and earth -- Conclusion -- Jesus, heaven and new creation: The ascension -- What about the 'second coming'? -- When he appears: Introduction -- Coming, appearing, revealing, royal presence -- Jesus the coming judge: Introduction -- Resurrection : life after 'life after death' -- Resurrection in Corinth -- Resurrection : later debates -- Rethinking resurrection today : who, where, what, why, when and how -- Purgatory, paradise, hell: Introduction -- Purgatory -- Paradise -- Beyond hope, beyond pity -- Conclusion, human goals and new creation -- Part 3. Hope in practice : resurrection and the mission of the church. Rethinking salvation : heaven, earth and the kingdom of God: Introduction -- The meaning of 'salvation' -- The kingdom of God -- Building for the kingdom: Introduction -- Justice -- Beauty -- Evangelism -- Conclusion 00 Reshaping the church for mission (1) : biblical roots: Introduction -- The gospels and Acts -- Paul -- Reshaping the church for mission (2) : living the future: Introduction : celebrating Easter -- Space, time and matter : creation redeemed -- Resurrection and mission -- Resurrection and spirituality: a. New birth and baptism; b. Eucharist; c. Prayer d. Scripture; e. Holiness; f. Love -- Tailpiece : two Easter sermons.