I thought of one more over the weekend: Jon Levenson’s book with Kevin Madigan, titled simply “Resurrection.” Levenson is an OT scholar (Jewish, I presume) and Madigan a NT scholar. The book tries to show how hope in resurrection is something that develops and intensifies over the history of Israel, such that the resurrection of Jesus can be more easily seen as the fulfillment of Jewish hope, rather than a completely radical and unprecedented break.

Thanks for your suggestion of some of Michael Horton’s works. I can see how there might be a little too much “doing” in Wright for the “Solo’s,” as you say. I would have to read a bit more to be sure of this claim, but I presently understand a great deal of the emphasis on “doing” in Wright to follow from the fact that, compared to a Calvinist, he is not going to stress active commitment to propositional doctrine as a sign of (or perhaps even necessary for) salvation. A broader range of behaviors is taken as evidence of “faith”….

It’s available free here:

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy43OjQ6MTUud2plbw==

One of my favorite Edwards passages comes from it:

“Love is in God as light is in the sun, which does not shine by a reflected light as the moon and planets do; but by his own light, and as the fountain of light. And love flows out from him towards all the inhabitants of heaven. It flows out in the first place necessarily and infinitely towards his only begotten Son, being poured forth without measure, as to an object which is infinite, and so fully adequate to God’s love in its fountain. Infinite love is infinitely exercised towards him. The fountain does not only send forth large streams towards this object as it does to every other, but the very fountain itself wholly and altogether goes out towards him. And the Son of God is not only the infinite object of love, but he is also an infinite subject of it. He is not only the infinite object of the Father’s love, but he also infinitely loves the Father. The infinite essential love of God is, as it were, an infinite and eternal mutual holy energy between the Father and the Son, a pure, holy act whereby the Deity becomes nothing but an infinite and unchangeable act of love, which proceed from both the Father and the Son. Thus divine love has its seat in the Deity as it is exercised within the Deity, or in God towards himself.

But it does not remain in such exercises only, but it flows out in innumerable streams towards all the created inhabitants of heaven; he loves all the angels and saints there. The love of God flows out towards Christ the Head, and through him to all his members, in whom they were beloved before the foundation of the world, and in whom his love was expressed towards them in time by his death and sufferings, and in their conversion and the great things God has done for them in this world, and is now fully manifested to them in heaven.”

The free version available here:

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy43OjQ6MTUud2plbw==

One of my favorite Edwards passsages comes from this sermon:

“Love is in God as light is in the sun, which does not shine by a reflected light as the moon and planets do; but by his own light, and as the fountain of light. And love flows out from him towards all the inhabitants of heaven. It flows out in the first place necessarily and infinitely towards his only begotten Son, being poured forth without measure, as to an object which is infinite, and so fully adequate to God’s love in its fountain. Infinite love is infinitely exercised towards him. The fountain does not only send forth large streams towards this object as it does to every other, but the very fountain itself wholly and altogether goes out towards him. And the Son of God is not only the infinite object of love, but he is also an infinite subject of it. He is not only the infinite object of the Father’s love, but he also infinitely loves the Father. The infinite essential love of God is, as it were, an infinite and eternal mutual holy energy between the Father and the Son, a pure, holy act whereby the Deity becomes nothing but an infinite and unchangeable act of love, which proceed from both the Father and the Son. Thus divine love has its seat in the Deity as it is exercised within the Deity, or in God towards himself.

But it does not remain in such exercises only, but it flows out in innumerable streams towards all the created inhabitants of heaven; he loves all the angels and saints there. The love of God flows out towards Christ the Head, and through him to all his members, in whom they were beloved before the foundation of the world, and in whom his love was expressed towards them in time by his death and sufferings, and in their conversion and the great things God has done for them in this world, and is now fully manifested to them in heaven.”

As a Reformed Christian I just offer that the critique I have heard about NT Wright from the Reformed Thinkers in the know is that his advocacy of what is referred to as Covenantal Nomism essentially amounts to “Get in By Grace, Stay in By Works”, which is to say that we can enter into the covenant by Grace, but we must justify our continued membership by manifesting the fruits of Christian maturity. Obviously this is a deal breaker for anyone who holds to the Solo’s. Hence I too tend to hold a serious ambivalence to the man’s works. My reading is largely out of the Escondido School, particularly Michael Horton. I can particularly recommend his Covenant and Eschalogy, and Christianity for Pilgrims on the Way.

As to books about Heaven, I will have to respond in the spirit of Germaine which is as it is viewed from Dante’s Purgatorio. As a protestant I read Purgatorio as a parable for Christian formation in this life in expectation of the life to come, its the picture of expectation in Purgatorio that I find illustrative of our view of heaven from the pilgrimage we are on in this life. I personally have dog eared MS Merwin’s translation near my bed. Book Nine and Twelve of Sheed’s translation of the Confessions also. And, in good Dutch Reformed Fashion Zacharias Ursinus’ Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism as it gives a picture of Christian belief rooted in expectation.

Great topic Carl.