__What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven'? For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? What do we mean by the 'resurrection of the body'? And how does all this affect the way we live in the here and now?__

Tom Wright addresses these questions in this lively and thoroughly biblical book. He describes the persistent confusion about 'the last things' in both Church and world. Then, having explained why Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus himself, he explores the biblical hope for 'new heavens and new earth', and shows how the second coming of Jesus, and the eventual resurrection of the dead, belong within that larger picture.

'Strips away popular sentimentality and medieval imagery, allowing the original biblical writers to speak to us afresh. . . It gives substance to our hope and deserves widespread and careful reading.'  
__Reform__

'Builds on C.S. Lewis' succinct defence of the faith and takes it to a new level.'  
__World Magazine__

'This book is Tom Wright at his finest.'  
__Rob Bell__

'Unmissable.'  
__Krish Kandiah__

In Surprised by Hope, bestselling author Tom Wright encourages to find our hope not just in what we believe about life after death, but also our understanding and experience of life before death.

Preface xi

Part 1

SETTING THE SCENE

1 All dressed up and no place to go? 3

1\. Introduction 3

2\. Confusion about hope: the wider world 7

3\. Varieties of belief 15

2 Puzzled about paradise? 20

1\. Christian confusion about hope 20

2\. Exploring the options 23

3\. The effects of confusion 27

4\. Wider implications of confusion 37

5\. The key questions 38

3 Early Christian hope in its historical setting 42

1\. Introduction 42

2\. Resurrection and life after death in ancient paganism and Judaism 46

3\. The surprising character of early Christian hope 52

4 The strange story of Easter 64

1\. Stories without precedent 64

2\. Easter and history 69

3\. Conclusion 86

Part 2

GOD'S FUTURE PLAN

5 Cosmic future: progress or despair? 91

1\. Introduction 91

2\. Option 1: evolutionary optimism 93

3\. Option 2: souls in transit 100

6 What the whole world's waiting for 104

1\. Introduction 104

2\. Fundamental structures of hope 104

3\. Seedtime and harvest 109

4\. The victorious battle 110

5\. Citizens of heaven - colonizing the earth 111

6\. God will be all in all 112

7\. New birth 114

8\. The marriage of heaven and earth 115

9\. Conclusion 117

7 Jesus, heaven and new creation 120

1\. The ascension 120

2\. What about the 'second coming'? 129

8 When he appears 135

1\. Introduction 135

2\. Coming, appearing, revealing, royal presence 136

9 Jesus the coming judge 150

1\. Introduction 150

2\. Second coming and judgment 155

10 The redemption of our bodies 159

1\. Introduction 159

2\. Resurrection: life after 'life after death' 160

3\. Resurrection in Corinth 165

4\. Resurrection: later debates 169

5\. Rethinking resurrection today: who, where,

what, why, when and how 171

11 Purgatory, paradise, hell 177

1\. Introduction 177

2\. Purgatory 178

3\. Paradise 183

4\. Beyond hope, beyond pity 187

5\. Conclusion: human goals and new creation 196

Part 3

HOPE IN PRACTICE: RESURRECTION

AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

12 Rethinking salvation: heaven, earth and the

kingdom of God 201

1\. Introduction 201

2\. The meaning of 'salvation' 206

3\. The kingdom of God 213

13 Building for the kingdom 218

1\. Introduction 218

2\. Justice 224

3\. Beauty 233

4\. Evangelism 236

5\. Conclusion 242

14 Reshaping the church for mission (1):biblical roots 245

1\. Introduction 245

2\. The gospels and Acts 246

3\. Paul 258

15 Reshaping the church for mission (2):living the future 267

1\. Introduction: celebrating Easter 267

2\. Space, time and matter: creation redeemed 269

3\. Resurrection and mission 277

4\. Resurrection and spirituality 283

a. New birth and baptism 283

b. Eucharist 285

c. Prayer 288

d. Scripture 293

e. Holiness 296

f. Love 298

Tailpiece: two Easter sermons 303

Notes 308

Index of biblical references 329

Index of names 332

Index of topics 336

Tom Wright

Cover page

Title page

Imprint

Dedication

Preface

Part 1: Setting the scene

1. All dressed up and no place to go?

2. Puzzled about paradise?

3. Early Christian hope in its historical setting

4. The strange story of Easter

Part 2: God’s future plan

5. Cosmic future: progress or despair?

6. What the whole world's waiting for

7. Jesus, heaven and new creation

8. When he appears

9. Jesus the coming judge

10. The redemption of our bodies

11. Purgatory, paradise, hell

Part 3: Hope in practice: resurrection and the mission of the church

12. Rethinking salvation: heaven, earth and the kingdom of God

13. Building for the kingdom

14. Reshaping the church for mission (1): biblical roots

15. Reshaping the church for mission (2): living the future

Tailpiece: two Easter sermons

Notes

Search items for biblical references

Search items for names

Search items for  topics

Wright, Tom

What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven' For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? What do we mean by the 'resurrection of the body', and how does that fit with the popular image of sitting on clouds playing harps? And how does all this affect the way we live in the here and now? Tom Wright, one of our leading theologians, addresses these questions in this provocative and wide-ranging new book. He outlines the present confusion about future hope in both church and world. Then, having explained why Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus himself, he explores the biblical hope for 'new heavens and new earth', and shows how the 'second coming' of Jesus, and the eventual resurrection, belong within that larger picture, together with the intermediate hope for 'heaven'. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation - and if this has already begun in Jesus' resurrection - the church cannot stop at 'saving souls', but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life not only after death but before it.

What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven'? For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? This book addresses these questions and explores the biblical hope for 'new heavens and new earth'.

What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven'? For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? What do we mean by the 'resurrection of the body', and how does that fit with the popular image of sitting on clouds playing harps? And how does all this affect the way we live in the here and now?Tom Wright, one of our leading theologians, addresses these questions in this provocative and wide-ranging new book. He outlines the present confusion about future hope in both church and world. Then, having explained why Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus himself, he explores the biblical hope for 'new heavens and new earth', and shows how the 'second coming' of Jesus, and the eventual resurrection, belong within that larger picture, together with the intermediate hope for 'heaven'. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise.Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation - and if this has already begun in Jesus' resurrection - the church cannot stop at 'saving souls', but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life.Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life not only after death but before it.It is intended for readers of Tom Wright's other books, such as "Simply Christian" and "Evil and the Justice of God".

Tom Wright is Bishop of Durham and is a regular broadcaster on radio and television. He is the author of over forty books, including the popular For Everyone guides to the New Testament and the magisterial series entitled Christian Origins and the Question of God.

Tom Wright outlines the present confusion about future hope in both church and world. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. This book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life not only after death but before it.

\["Want to cut through conflicting voices in Christianity?","This book explores the real hope that faith holds close","You'll be equipped to know what the Church's purpose and destiny are"\]

Surprised by Hope is lively and accessible, it will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life not only after death but before it

__What do Christians hope for? To leave this wicked world and go to 'heaven'? For the 'kingdom of God' to grow gradually on earth? What do we mean by the 'resurrection of the body'? And how does all this affect the way we live in the here and now?__Tom Wright addresses these questions in this lively and thoroughly biblical book. He describes the persistent confusion about 'the last things' in both Church and world. Then, having explained why Christians believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus himself, he explores the biblical hope for 'new heavens and new earth', and shows how the second coming of Jesus, and the eventual resurrection of the dead, belong within that larger picture.

'Strips away popular sentimentality and medieval imagery, allowing the original biblical writers to speak to us afresh. . . It gives substance to our hope and deserves widespread and careful reading.'  
__Reform__

'Builds on C.S. Lewis' succinct defence of the faith and takes it to a new level.'  
__World Magazine__

'This book is Tom Wright at his finest.'  
__Rob Bell__

'Unmissable.'  
__Krish Kandiah__

The Good Book Stall

Tom Wright is one of our foremost New Testament scholars, a popular bishop at Durham and an accomplished and acclaimed author. This new title, Surprised by Hope has a sub-title: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church and gives a great insight into the current thinking of the “New Perspective” group’s thought processes and where their thinking is going. SPCK have cleverly re-worked, trimmed down and updated Wright’s earlier work The Resurrection of the Son of God and created a masterpiece that is accessible both theologically as well as price-wise. Any fans of Wright will really enjoy this book, but for those who are either not au fait with his writing or normally anti the New Perspective’s standpoint I would thoroughly recommend reading a copy as there are real gems to be found as well as points to ponder and wrestle with. This is a particularly good book to get into for in preparation for Easter as part one is a magnificent apologetic for the defence of the bodily resurrection of Jesus and should be read by all serious thinking Christians. Rethinking does not have to mean changing everything, but with the aid of accomplished scholars you can confront established views and review them in a revised and perhaps revived way. There is so much more to enjoy from this work and so much more to the hope a Christian has for the future on this earth as well as in the life to come. This book is deservedly a good seller and would be a welcome part of anyone’s library

Surprised by Hope

Mark Smith

A really good read: taking an honest biblical review of escatology, the gospel and the church. Provides clear guidance through the fog of muddled thinking. Essential reading!

Refreshing, informative and inspiring

Ian Graham

To Wrights' writing is so accessible and enlightening.

Not a surprise

Original, Provocative and Practical

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