Review of Paradise Understood," edited by T. Ryan Byerly and Eric J. Silverman (Oxford, 2017)

Paradise Understood: New Philosophical Essays about Heaven by T Ryan Byerly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Paradise Understood is a collection of philosophical essays from analytic philosophers about the concept of Heaven. "Heaven" here means the abode of the righteous in the afterlife in Christianity and Islam (and in some strands of Jewish thought). The essays are all high-quality, though some are more accessible to a general educated audience than others. The topics range from whether we are active and grow in Heaven or whether it is static, the nature of emotions in Heaven (is sadness possible), the possibility of non-human animals in Heaven, how we can be the same persons in Heaven as the persons who died (preservation of personal identity from this earth to Heaven), and whether we shall be free in Heaven. This book has my highest recommendation for philosophers, especially analytic philosophers and philosophical theologians who are analytically trained, who are interested in the topic of Heaven. The book is expensive, but it is worth borrowing a copy through Interlibrary Loan and working through the articles.



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