A Travel Guide to Heaven: 10th Anniversary Edition

by Anthony DeStefano

A recent Newsweek poll reports that 76 percent of Americans believe in heaven. Yet even avid believers have difficulty conjuring up more than vague images of halos, harps, and wispy angels in flowing robes. Anthony DeStefano knew there had to be a more complete, meaningful, and comforting vision of what heaven is like, and A Travel Guide to Heaven is the entertaining and enlightening result.

Using the Bible as his guide, the author notes that heaven is not only a spiritual place, but also a physical place, a fabulous “luxury resort” more sumptuous than any on Earth. The residents are real, their bodies transformed into their most perfect selves—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. By making a spiritual subject immensely physical, the book provides a picture of amazing places to visit, things to do, luxuries for pampering—not to mention deep, abiding joy.

Combining the clarity and logic of C. S. Lewis with a terrific sense of fun and adventure, DeStefano creates a brilliant, reassuring portrait of heaven, a place that has intrigued and puzzled humankind throughout history. With its clear view of the afterlife, A Travel Guide to Heaven might best be compared to James Van Praagh's Talking to Heaven or Betty J. Eadie's Embraced by the Light in its tremendous message of comfort and reassurance.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christian, Catholic, Spirituality, Christianity, Travel

193 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Anthony DeStefano is the bestselling author of 20 Christian books for children and adults, including: A Travel Guide to Heaven, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, Angels All Around Us, Little Star, and The Donkey that No One Could Ride. He has received many prestigious awards from religious organizations worldwide for his efforts to advance Christian beliefs in modern culture.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony DeStephano’s A Travel Guide to Heaven is a very upbeat, lighthearted look at a subject which is too often only broached by serious theologians. Without going into denominational debates DeStephano presents a truly inviting description of Heaven as a real place—or rather the Place of all places—inhabited with those we love, beautiful beyond imagining and completely physical, all the while drawing from what we know of the revealed God—both in Scripture as well as the glories of His created world. However, as Jesus said when He ‘called a child over, placed it in their midst, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”’ (Matthew 18:2-4) It isn’t our grownup knowledge and pride that is going to do us much good here. Rather we’re going to have to become little. This is true both in terms of understanding what Heaven is (the concept) as well as what it takes to get there (the means).

Later DeStephano makes the point another way, ‘you must make God the sovereign of your life. God—not some vague spiritual “force,” not “mother nature” not the Earth, not some trendy social theory, not money, not power, not fame, not TV, not sex. God. ... The most important thing to reject is the notion that you are your own ticket to heaven. As the saying going, there are two big lessons to learn in life: There is a God, and I’m not him.’

I admit the book made me unspeakably happy, but then I have never had any doubts about Heaven, nor trouble imagining all the wonderful things possible in such a realm, not the least of which is to finally see the One I love so much. However, this is the first time I have encountered an author who has described so many of my hopes and dreams for eternity. It was especially refreshing to discover that artists, writers and teachers will never want for creative ‘work’ – and yes in the sense that most artists cannot not create, there will be ‘work’ for them in Heaven. But I dare say they will find this welcome news, as I do.

So if there is some place you always wanted to go, someone you miss so much you can hardly say their name without crying or something you think you’ve gotten too old to do and will never get the chance—don't despair. We are finite beings with infinite longings because we were made for an Infinite Being and destined for Eternity. As C. S. Lewis said, this is but the shadowlands.

As for the argument that Heaven is just wishful thinking, listen to what DeStephano writes:

‘To say that religion—particularly Christian religion—is wishful thinking flies in the face of all common sense and logic. Is it wishful thinking to believe in hell, the devil and demons? Is it wishful thinking to believe we’re going to be judged and held accountable for every sin we’ve ever committed? Is it wishful thinking to believe the best way to live our life is to sacrifice our own desires for the sake of others? Is it wishful thinking to believe that we should discipline our natural bodily urges for the sake of some unseen “kingdom”? And while we’re at it, is it wishful thinking to believe our God wants us to love our enemies? For goodness sake what kind of demand is that?’

My point is that if human beings were going to invent a religion based on their own wishful thinking, they could do a lot “better” than Christianity. Why in the world would we make it so hard on ourselves? Why not wish for a religion that had a heaven, but at the same time allowed promiscuous sex, encouraged gluttony, did away with the commandments, and forbade anyone to ever mention the idea of judgment and punishment? Wouldn’t that make a lot more sense?

But if you are willing to do what our God asks, perhaps some early morning you may find yourself walking along a stretch of beach and come upon a youngish man cooking freshly caught fish over a charcoal fire. He might look up at you, wave and invite you over for breakfast with him and his friends. I don’t know about you, but that’s one meal I wouldn’t want to miss. (cf John 21)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought it for the chapter on dogs going to Heaven, but I found the whole book inspirational. It was a very easy read, simplistic in the author's presentation, which kept my interest. I sent the book to a person I know who has life-issues, in the hopes of finding some inner-peace.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gave me a new perspective on Heaven. It makes you want to go there, and calm your fears of the unknown.

[Nicolette Froelicher]

Loved Loved Loved the book!!! Definitely going in the list of books I will always keep with me forever. I will probably read it again soon because I feel like I need to read it almost in one sitting to get the full effect of the book. This first time reading it I was always interrupted while I was trying to read this book and I kind of felt incomplete reading it this way or like something was missing or my full concentration wasn't in the book due to life lol. But I did love the book. I just had a hard time having time to read it. :)

[Capoppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written just as the title indicates, a travel book you would get for going on vacation to a new destination. Telling you what to expect when you arrive, things you don't want to miss and how to recognize what you may see. Even for someone unchurched you would be able to make the connections the author refers to. He references scripture,then explains what he believes you will encounter. Chapters on accomadations, relationships, pets and animals, tour guides food and even jobs. There will be some jobs that are no longer required because there will be no illness and no crime.

[Yolanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I found myself smiling along while reading. The author lays out the where, what and why of Heaven in a pleasing, fun manner. The hope of who you will "run" into and talk to in Heaven is certainly worth the work to get there.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a Catholic, this is an amazing description of what Heaven might be like. Makes you wonder . . .

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this was scripture based and how postive it was. Really gave a good insight into what heaven will be like based on God's character.

[Ashley Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful, scripture based picture of what Heaven will be like. This book inspired me to start a Christian based book club to be able to discuss spiritual matters.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best inspiring book about heaven that I have read. You will enjoy the trip.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthony DeStefano is not a Catholic theologian but he writes beautifully about Catholic spirituality. In this book, DeStefano examines the Bible and looks at those verses that reference heaven. He then uses the analogy of taking a trip in our journey to heaven. Although I did not fully appreciate that aspect, it deterred from the book’s true purpose. I am happy to have read it. I hope it affects my life in a positive way. There are many aspects of the book that are comforting. The chapter about meeting Jesus for the first time is the only chapter I read twice and I may read it again.

[benjamin uhlenkott · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have a notion that Heaven is boring or you (if you make it 😉😀) sit on a cloud all day playing a harp in white garb, then you’ll enjoy this book. Fr Mike Schmitz recommended it. It’s okay. I’d say St. John Henry Newman’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ by far superior, shorter and really engages your mind on deeper, more imaginative thought of the life after.

[Ellen Seta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job of emphasizing the physicality and humanness of Heaven (a place for which God has created us humans to be with Him forever)! A very down-to-earth, easy read that offers a lot of food for thought. It served to bolster my excitement and deep desire for the promise of eternal bliss to those who seek His face.

[Bree Adores Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an EXCELLENT book! I highly recommend it! :)

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting ideas about heaven. Of course we won't know until we arrive there, but it will be more amazing and awesome than we could ever imagine.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first chapter of this book and decided to toss it. The author describes himself as "far enough away from being a professional theologian to avoid bogging us down with too much formal theology." He has a bibliography at the end of the book that he says backs up his points. There were several items I was curious about after the first chapter and decided to check his biblical references to see what the bible had to say. I'm very disappointed to report that none of the references I checked (and I checked most) had anything to do with the point he was making. He just found a bunch of verses with the word "heaven" in them and listed them. Bummer...I was actually looking forward to this book. But if its not really biblically based then why bother??

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it me???? I cannot seem to get through a book lately. I find myself 1/3 of the way in thinking, 'GOOD GRIEF. Why am I spending my time on this? Why do I care????' In this case, the author - a Catholic author with no theological training - is writing about Heaven, speculating on what he thinks it is like. It's totally - in my estimation - based on his opinion. He throws a few Bible verses in as proof to his ideas - namely that it is a physical place, but as Catholics, don't we believe that the Bible is not to be taken literally but figuratively??? I guess if I were in a playful sort of lay in the grass, stare at the sky and speculate mood, this would be a fun read.

[Steven Szewczyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book. It is a light read that describes what Heaven must be like. The author uses scripture to form his opinion . Whether or not his interpretations turn out to be 100% correct, does not change the fact that the book makes you think about the joys of heaven in a real way. It was a fun read. The author is Catholic but it is meant to be read by any denomination.

[Dzillich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. Its a unique perspective on what to expect in heaven and our journey on earth. It may change how you look at things. It's definitely not a religious book but there are references to the Bible and other religious scripture.

[Richelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different view of Heaven. Loved it!

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I enjoyed how the author took scripture, and described how heaven is an actual place, is fun, has excitement, action, and is forever.
I always thought that when we die, we either go to heaven, purgatory, or hell. But the author explained what probably was mentioned in religion classes and Church masses all my life, but I just didn’t get it. Not until the end of the world, all those who died will rise, just like Christ. Then our bodies and souls will be joined again. So there’s a period of waiting to get our physical bodies back. Is this purgatory? Have we been judged yet? Where are our souls at this time of waiting? Anyway, once our body is back with our soul, we will get new bodies, ones that last forever and do not experience pain or disfigurement. And we’ll still look like ourselves, probably during a period of our lives when we looked and were at our best. Saint Thomas Aquinas said our bodies in heaven will be what Christ had in the Bible: subtlety, luminosity, agility, and incorruptibility.
Heaven will be our final destination. And surprisingly, it will be closer than we think. It will be the “new earth.” After the Apocalypse, this earth will be transformed. I’m sure it will have to be made bigger! We may even recognize some of the places we’ve been creating here. This explains why we should treat the earth now with respect and care.
Interesting also to note that there will be no marriages in heaven, but lasting friendships.
No brainer here, the main thing you have to do to get to heaven is to have God as your number one priority. Know God, and don’t be a stranger. This book made sense to me. I hope to see the author a million years from now and we can have a chat!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Travel Guide to Heaven” has been a enjoyable and refreshing read during these post modernity times when people are leaving the Church and a belief in GOD is constantly being eroded. This is not a “feel good” read but it will delight. This in not an academic tome that will bog you down. It is just right for the times we live in and the “parishioner in the pew”. Mr. DeStefano uses many direct quotes from the Bible to emphasis his ideas and perspectives on a subject that can be very eluding or overwhelming. I welcome Mr. Stefanos book to my previous readings about heaven from the academic perspective of Peter Kreeft’s “Everything You Wanted to Know about Heaven”, the more poetic perspective C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce” to the popular Mitch Albom’s “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”. Experienced as an Audio book.

[The Overflowing Inkwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what to rate this one. It's a quick, light read; nothing too serious, and takes less than a day to read (much less), but also feels like some places need to be reread to get them fully (for me, anyway). I dunno - I'm not a Christian, and I don't agree with some of the viewpoints expressed here or that Christianity really is all it's cracked up to be: this is probably one of the better portrayals of Jesus I've ever read. But I enjoyed thinking about Heaven as a physical location, and the things that naturally come from such a premise. There's some good stuff in here.

[Solomon MacArthur · Rating 1 out of 5]

This "Wizard of Oz" like description of Heaven is extremely light on hard theological thought and consists principally of mythical and magical perceptions. The truth is that there are but vague illustrative depictions of Heaven in the Bible and it is impossible to specifically describe Heaven as attempted by this author. The book is essentially one man's childhood fantasy of Heaven and it does little to encourage agnostics into accepting the efficacy of our faith or our Bible. Only let your children read this book...not for mature thinking audiences.

[Natali Madrigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

f heaven is as glorious as it’s explained in this book I can’t wait to go. The feels and emotions I got when the author explained what it was going to be like when I saw my loved ones again, and my pets pawing at my leg. How I will be able to see ancient Rome, the pyramids, and old paris. I will meet Ernest Hemingway and listen to shakespeare. The roman gods will see the World Trade center and experience NYC life. There’s never going to be a boring day in heaven. Restaurants, tea, painting, reading…anything is possible. Highlighted and will forever keep in my collection.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this book but did not particularly like the writing style. I also felt it was too specific with how Heaven was described. I did appreciate the references to scripture for the imagery, though. It is a fun and quick read and presents an aura of excitement for what is to come. I think the author achieves his goal with the book. I finished it feeling uplifted and eager for our final destination.

[Lauren Cadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this book to work through my feelings on my dog’s passing. Initially I only read that chapter. It helped me understand that her life had meaning too. Then, I decided to read the rest of the book. It is a simplistic explanation of heaven. It does not go into great theological detail. However, I found that was what I needed. It’s a perfect book for reassurance during this journey of life.

[Larry Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it offers a imaginative approach to our journey to heaven, it is based on Biblical facts. More important it builds a desire to see this magnificent place God has promised us who believe and follow Him. And, it encourages those who do not believe to consider a change—with eternally happy consequences.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very hyperbolic almost mythological description of heaven. I would call this book "pop" religion, rather than theology. I thought the analysis was on the young adult level and not worthy of serious study.

[Ted Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavenly speculation and anticipation. DeStefano describes the joys of heaven, the journey and projected arrival at our destination using examples from Scripture as a roadmap. Delightful, inspiring message.