What Really Happens after We Die: How We Know There Will Be Hugs in Heaven!

by James L. Papandrea

Here professor of Church history Dr. James Papandrea gathers in one place all that is known about the afterlife— drawn from the teachings of Jesus, the Apostles, the Church Fathers, and the Church's Magisterium— affording, for the first time ever, a complete, authoritative, detailed portrait of the state of souls after death and the realms we enter. The following are among the many questions he answers:

If, as St. Paul says, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God,” how can our bodies enter Heaven? After death but before the final resurrection, are we simply unconscious? What is our resurrection like? (And does it differ from Jesus' Resurrection?) Are ghosts real? (You'll be surprised at what the Church Fathers have to say.) What is the difference between Heaven and Paradise? Which of our parts will accompany us to Heaven (and which must be left behind)? In Heaven, do we still eat and drink? If, as Jesus says, there's no marrying in heaven, are we still male and female there? After our resurrection, will we, like Jesus, be able to pass through matter? And many more fascinating questions answered!

88 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2019

About the author

Dr. James L. Papandrea is an award-winning author, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, and the host of the Catholic Culture podcast, The Way of the Fathers. His many books have been translated into multiple languages, and he has an online presence via his YouTube channel called, The Original Church. A former Protestant deacon, now a Catholic layperson and catechist, Jim has an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in the history and theology of the early Christian Church, with secondary concentrations in New Testament interpretation and the history of the Roman Empire. He has also studied Roman history at the American Academy in Rome, Italy. He is currently on the faculty at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He is a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and is a member of multiple professional organizations, including the Academy of Catholic Theology, the North American Patristics Society, and the Society of Biblical Literature. More information can be found via Jim’s website: www.JimPapandrea.com, and his Amazon Author Page: www.DoctorJimsBooks.com. Dr. Papandrea is not on social media, but interacts directly with anyone interested in the New Testament and the early Church in The Original Church Community on Locals.com – you can find them at TheOriginalChurch.Locals.com.

Reviews

[Debra Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful in understanding what happens when we die but it did get very repetitive.

[BellaVega · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing and speculative. There are much better books on this topic.

The positive for the book is referencing other sources, such as Gregory of Nyssa. On the negative side, the author shamelessly and repeatedly throughout the text promotes his other books: "for more on this, see my book...."

Every chapter starts with a cringe retelling of a parable. These eat at the already low page count of 108 page or 116 if you count the small appendices and there is no real reason for them.

The most egregious thing is some of the content is the author's own opinion and is not shared with either Church teachings, the words of the saints, or other writer's on the subject. For example on "ghosts," he writes "...although it is possible that some who are destined for eternal separation from God may hang around as ghosts for a while, those who die in Christ do not become ghosts." His reasoning seems to be "If any do [souls become ghosts], it is only those souls who are not going on to Heaven, since they are clearly too attached to the present life to have any kind of relationship with God." This directly contradicts other writings, including that of exorcists, that suggest that some "ghosts," (those that are not demons pretending to be human spirits), could also be souls doing purgatory on earth destined for Heaven or a soul that lingers, for reasons unknown, but in God's permissive Will. For someone to count it as a fact that these are "souls who are not going to Heaven" is a terribly irresponsible thing to say. It discourage masses for the dead who may appear as "ghosts" and is can mislead readers into believing the author's personal views as facts.

[YT · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book provides valuable insight but towards the end, it becomes repetitive.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring and not enlightening at all. All he does is suggest reading his other books.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is much to ponder in this book and it will most likely bring up things you didn't know or hadn't thought about. One very interesting thing is how the Final Judgment can't take place until the end of time because of the "ripple effect" of our lives that has to play out. We won't know until the end of time the full effect, good and bad, that our lives had on others..