Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of this World for Crucifixion and EmpireA book that restores the idea of Paradise to its rightful place at the center of Christian thought When Rita Brock and Rebecca Parker began traveling the Mediterranean world in search of art depicting the dead, crucified Jesus, they discovered something that traditional histories of Christianity and Christian art had underplayed or sought to explain away: it took Jesus Christ a thousand years to die. During their first millennium, Christians filled their sanctuaries with images of Christ as a living presence in a vibrant world. He appears as a shepherd, a teacher, a healer, an enthroned god; he is an infant, a youth, and a bearded elder. But he is never dead. When he appears with the cross, he stands in front of it, serene, resurrected. The world around him is ablaze with beauty. These are images of paradise--paradise as this world, permeated and blessed by the presence of God. But once he perished, dying was virtually all Jesus seemed able to do. Saving Paradise offers a fascinating new lens on the history of Christianity, from its first centuries to the present day, asking how its early vision of beauty evolved into a vision of torture, and what changes in society and theology marked that evolution. |
Contents
In the BeginningParadise on the Earth | 3 |
In the BeginningGod So Generously Loved | 28 |
So Great a Cloud | 56 |
The Church as Paradise in This World | 84 |
The Portal to Paradise | 115 |
The Beautiful Feast of Life | 141 |
Gods Seeing God | 169 |
Hidden Treasures of Wisdom | 203 |
Dying for Love | 279 |
Escape Routes | 307 |
Weeping Encounters | 342 |
The Struggle for Paradise | 377 |
EPILOGUE | 411 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 421 |
NOTES | 425 |
| 517 | |
Other editions - View all
Saving Paradise: Recovering Christianity's Forgotten Love for This Earth Rita Nakashima Brock,Rebecca Ann Parker No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Abelard Ambrose ancient Anselm apocalyptic Augustine baptism beauty became Bernard Bible bishop blessed blood body bread called Calvin Carolingian Catechetical Lectures century created cross crucified Crucifixion Crusades Cyril Cyril of Jerusalem dead death Dhuoda Dilmun discussion divine early Christian early church earth earthly emperor empire Ephrem Ephrem the Syrian ethical Eucharist evil faith flesh garden Genesis glory God's Gospel Hagia Sophia heaven Heliand Heloise Hildegard holy human humanity's Ibid ideas images imperial Indians Irenaeus Jerusalem Jesus's Jews John justice killed King land leaders liturgy living Lord martyrs mosaic Muslims pagan paradise Passion peace Peter Peter Abelard Pilgrims prayer preached Prester John prophets Puritans quoted religious Resurrection ritual rivers Roman Rome sacred saints salvation Saxons sins social Song soul Spirit story struggle suffering Sumer Sumerian Tertullian theology theosis tion traditions trans tree University Press violence vision Wampanoag Wollochet women York