Heaven and Hell: Visions of the Afterlife in the Western Poetic Tradition

For thousands of years, philosophers, theologians, and poets have tried to pierce through the veil of death to gaze with wonder, fear, and awe on the final and eternal state of the soul. Indeed, the four great epic poets of the Western tradition (Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Milton) structured their epics in part around a descent into the underworld that is both spiritual and physical, both allegorical and geographical. This book not only considers closely these epic journeys to the "other side," but explores the chain of influences that connects the poets to such writers as Plato, Cicero, St. John, St. Paul, Bunyan, Blake, and C. S. Lewis. Written in a narrative, “man of letters” style and complete with an annotated bibliography, a timeline, a who’s who, and an extensive glossary of Jewish, Christian, and mythological terms, this user-friendly book will help readers understand how heaven and hell have been depicted for the last 3,000 years. “The portrayal of heaven and hell is one of the great literary themes of Western literature, and is a subject that should be of high-priority interest to every Christian. . . . Markos writes with his usual insightfulness, and he again does what he does best—serves as an engaging travel guide through this chosen body of literature.”—Leland Ryken, Wheaton College“We have been given a rich theological, philosophical, and literary overview of the themes of heaven, hell, and the permanent things so often neglected in literary studies. We gladly salute Louis Markos on this marvelous contribution and trust it will receive the wide readership it deserves.”—David S. Dockery, Union University“Lou Markos has pulled off quite an accomplishment. He has managed to meaningfully explore the perennial (and perennially challenging!) issue of heaven and hell. . . . For readers looking for a contemporary Virgil to guide them through these classic texts—as they touch on an important issue—look no further. Take up and read.”—Brad Green, Union University“Lou Markos is not only an engaging speaker and a vital educator, but he is also an insightful thinker and writer. Heaven and Hell is an important book on a topic that has been much discussed in Christian circles in the last five years. Markos does the important task of defending orthodoxy with wit and without rancor.”—J. M. N. Reynolds, Huston Baptist UniversityLouis Markos (www.Loumarkos.com), Professor in English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Baptist University, holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. He is the author of From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics. Read more