By Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs (NHC Fellow, 1978–79) A lecture sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries in conjunction with the Washington Collegium for the Humanities Lecture Series: Death and the Afterlife in Art and Literature. Presented at the Smithsonian Institution, February 16, 1988.
By Bart D. Ehrman (NHC Fellow, 2009–10; 2018–19) What happens when we die? A recent Pew Research poll showed that 72% of Americans believe in a literal heaven, 58% in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. But eternal rewards and … Continued
By Bart D. Ehrman (NHC Fellow, 2009–10; 2018–19) From classics such as the Odyssey and the Aeneid to fifth-century Christian apocrypha, narratives that described guided tours of the afterlife played a major role in shaping ancient notions of morality and ethics. In this new account, acclaimed author Bart Ehrman contextualizes early Christian narratives of heaven and hell within the … Continued
In clear and compelling terms, Bart D. Ehrman recounts the long history of the afterlife, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for the damned.