Heaven

Question 1

how is heaven described in revelation

Answer 1

• revelation describes heaven as a place with angels worshiping God with a trumpet, throne and an alter
• heaven a built city

Question 2

revelation quote for heaven

Answer 2

the i saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth’

Question 3

what is heaven inspired by jesus second coming

Answer 3

heaven will be on earth as the transformation and perfection of creation - a physical entity - this is when Christ will return to earth - the parousia

Question 4

what will the ‘new earth’ be

Answer 4

it will return to prelasperian conditions, what was intended of life during the times of adam and eve.
the messiah would return and people will willining live under Gods rule

Question 5

what is the beatific vision?

Answer 5

everlasting bliss - eternal moment of being in the presence of God rather than a physical place where time passes

Question 6

who is the scholar for the beatific vision?

Answer 6

aquinas

Question 7

what would spiritual heaven be like?

Answer 7

spiritual union with God
restore relationship with man and God
no sin
‘supreme and definitive happiness’
God is revealed and all doubts will be revealed

Question 8

what are catholic beliefs of heaven as a spiritual place?

Answer 8

our souls join God outside of time
our bodies are subject to time but our souls are not
our soul enters heaven
therefore not a physical place
transcendent God and transcendent souls are in harmony and union together

Question 9

tillich views on heaven as a symbol…

Answer 9

a mere symbol of earthly bliss and nothing more. It signifies moral virtue in which you help others.

Question 10

how are Tillich views reflected in the parable of Lazarus?

Answer 10

the rich man is denied heaven on account of him acting unkind towards the poor suggesting heaven is a means of moral development and motivation for good and social action.

Question 11

support for heaven as a spiritural state

Answer 11

• kantian ethics and the summum bonnum
• our bodies are subject to decay how would it be physical
• jesus says ‘truly i tell you tody you will be with me paradise’ this suggests heaven is instant and spiritual (not transformation and perfection of creation)

Question 12

against heaven as a spiritual state

Answer 12

• relies on dualism and belief in the soul which many have argued not true - Dawkins and Aristotle
• not scriptural

Question 13

support for heaven as REAL.

Answer 13

• scriptural - respects teachings on parousia
• NT Wright agreed that heaven must be the perfection of new earth, where the soverign ruler will come to us, bringing heaven and earth together.
• jesus had a physical bodily resssurection - doubting thomas
• liberation theologians - real place on earth once we have been liberated from opressive forces of social power
• kant

Question 14

over view of a01 for heaven

Answer 14

1) heaven is the transformation and perfection of creation - Parousia - new earth and revelation quote
2) spiritual - Aquinas - beatific vision
3) traditional views
4) Tillich - heaven as a symbol

Question 15

what is the relationship between our souls and God in heaven

Answer 15

souls are transcendent and in union with God

Question 16

what did Bernard Williams argue?

Answer 16

heaven would be boring for an eternity we are motivated by challenges and enjoy them
to appreciate happiness suffering is required - Irenaeus

Question 17

how does kant believe in heaven?

Answer 17

he though ought implied can
we ought to achieve the summum bonnum so we can
not all can achieve this in earth so there must be a heaven in which we can achieve it

Question 18

how would liberations support heaven as a tranformation?

Answer 18

symbolic for Christians standing in solidarity and helping the opressed and poor. It is about christians following moral action and trasofmring earth.

Question 19

what does ACTs suggest about heaven

Answer 19

• jesus had a physical body which ascended to heaven - suggesting a physical place

Question 20

against heaven as a real place

Answer 20

• Bernard williams pointed out that a real endless time would become boring, we are creaters motiavted by challenge and dismay. (irenaeus and easthetic uality argument) - there would be a motivational collapse
• the problem of freewill - how would we be free when living in Gods prescence - for Hick there is an epistemic distance so that we may love God freely