The Quest for Paradise: Visions of Heaven and Eternity in the World's Myths and Religions

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 160 pages
• Published by: HarperOne October 23, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 006251735X
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0062517357
• Book Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 2.3 pounds

Product Review
Almost all the major religions have a version of the Garden of Eden story, which is studied and illustrated extensively in The Quest for Paradise. The idea of paradise has inspired the human imagination for millennia, and the full-color artistic renditions of life in the hereafter enhance the ambitious narrative. Biblical scholar John Ashton and comparative religionist Tom Whyte span a multitude of religions and myths while remaining completely accessible to a general audience. While readers will discover many intriguing similarities, there is also a satisfying diversity of stories and beliefs. The Aztecs thought warriors spent eternity on Earth as brightly colored birds. In Islam, an "Angel of Death" named Izrail has enormous wings that "embrace the faithful but crush the wicked." Rastafarians believe that paradise can be re-created on Earth if humans learn to commune with nature. Readers can ponder the many possibilities while savoring these gorgeously illustrated pages. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly
Just in time for high gift-giving season comes this lushly illustrated exploration of "paradise" in world religions. Written by a biblical scholar (Ashton) and a comparative religionist (Whyte), the text is remarkably accessible to the casual reader. The authors have divided their subject into three parts: "immortal longings," which treats the concept of paradise as the search for happiness and immortality in ancient cultures; "the Eden story," which focuses on the more traditional visions of paradise emerging from Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and "other worlds," which explores everything from African, aboriginal and American traditions to secular utopias. Descriptions of major faiths are sprinkled with gorgeously designed insets describing lesser-known stories and myths. The vivid color illustrations are even richer in content than the text. From carvings and sculptures to paintings and frescoes, the visual tour of afterlife imaginings alone could absorb readers for hours. Although each segment is necessarily brief and inevitably oversimplified, the broad, comparative sweep across so many traditions and worldviews draws out some fascinating similarities (and contrasts) in the concept of paradise. In particular, the comparative treatment of Adam, Eve and the Tree of Life across several major world religions is intriguing to those who have been exposed to a single Western view of the story. The authors write easily to a general audience, with a comfortable style and a generous sense of humor. This gorgeous book is well-suited to be a coffee-table favorite.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Reader Reviews
"The Egyptian afterlife, like many Egyptian conceptions, was characterized by a contrasting duality: a dark and mysterious netherworld presided over by Osiris, Lord of Resurrection, and an astral dominance, in which sun god Re was supreme." Dr. Ogden Goelet, NYU Origins and Eternity: Almost all religions pose the question; "From where did we come, and where are we having our ultimate destination?" with Different answers to these eternal questions. In Visions of Heaven and Eternity in the World's Myths and Religions, John Ashton, a Biblical scholar, and Tom Whyte, a comparative religion expert, take the reader of "The Quest for Paradise:" in a visual utopian journey that explores the afterlife of the Ancient Egyptians and all who followed the mystical quest for eternity since ancient times, from all around the globe. Visions of Heaven: Belief systems of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims, are probed while ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Rome are explored to compare the similarities and contrast the differences on the afterlife myth and religious folklore. Greek to Celtic Paradise are linked to the Garden of Delights. The comparative treatment of Adam, Eve and the Tree of Life, is particularly intriguing to those who are exposed only to the Genesis story, while the Heliopolitan Cosmology stands clearly as the origin of the creation drama. Exploring the common historical roots and discovering the mythical fables of Alexander the Great, Gilgamesh, to the ride on Buraq are fascinating. Beautifully embedded with spectacular visual arts in drawings and photos, the book pages look real for the young and challenging for all readers.