by Peter J. Kreeft

Reviewed by Mike Crowl

The title is a cataloguer’s nightmare – and it’s probably a bit ofan exaggeration. In spite of that, Peter Kreeft’s book is a marvellousattempt to open our minds and imaginations to the reality of Heaven, andto the wondrous things we have in store.

Everything You Ever etc is not a new book. It was first publishedin 1982, went out of print, and was fortunately taken up again in 1990by a different publisher in a revised and lengthened version. A friendrecently introduced the book to me, and I’d like more people to knowabout it.

Why should we think about Heaven? Should we let death and all thatjust happen? Should we ignore Heaven and get on doggedly with thislife? Or should we be like the English vicar, (quoted in chapterfourteen), who when asked what he expected after death, replied,"Well, I suppose I shall enter into eternal bliss, but I reallywish you wouldn’t bring up such depressing subjects."

No one who reads Peter Kreeft’s book will ever again think thatHeaven is a depressing subject. Kreeft attempts the impossible, says heprobably hasn’t succeeded, and yet manages to inspire, encourage,delight, and fill with wonder as he digs away at possible questionspeople might ask about their future home.

The book isn’t always an easy read. However much Kreeft tries tosimplify, he is dealing with a subject that requires depth. There arepassages one has to sit and re-read two or three times to get the gistof them. However, I think most people who are keen to know more aboutthe subject will work away at the material until they glean what Kreefthas to say – and will be rewarded.

What does he say? Well, he discusses the Protestant no-no subjectof Purgatory, and sees it not just as a peculiar Catholic doctrine, butas something that may yet be true for all of us. He tries to answer 14questions about Heaven, the sort of questions that a child wouldn’thesitate to ask, though an adult would possibly feel silly. (Theyshould ask them all the same!)

He deals amazingly well with what happens to the sinfulness of us aswe go from a world that’s full of sin to one that’s clean of it. And hedeals even more amazingly with the question – this is probably the onethat every one dreams of asking but no one dares – Is There Sex inHeaven? And in case you think this book is in anyway unseemly, let mesay that this is one of the best and most sensible chapters in the book. Only the chapter entitled Can we know the Joy of Heaven now? beats it.

The chapter on Joy is superb. (Sorry to keep hammering away at thesuperlatives). Kreeft firmly points out that the devil is the killjoyof all time, while God is so full of joy it overflows into His people -if they’ll let it. This is no exaggeration: read the book, and startto get a better picture of just how wonderfully loving and joyful ourFather is. Most of us haven’t any idea.

Kreeft firmly bases his ideas in Scripture (the last chapter showshow he worked out his "answers") and one comes out of theother end of the book feeling more solidly ground in one’s faith thanbefore. In spite of that, he may still get people’s backs up. He can’thelp it, because the subject of Heaven, and even more, of God, isfraught with curious contradictions that we can’t understand this sideof eternity.

Kreeft wisely quotes C S Lewis a good deal, because Lewis is one ofthe few authors who have written with imaginative wisdom about Heaven.(When you’ve finished this book, go onto Lewis’ The Great Divorce.) Buthe also draws on a huge variety of other writers, some of whom might beamazed to find themselves included in a book about Heaven: Socrates,for one.

I hope I’ve managed to convey some of my enthusiasm for this book,and for its topic. If you want to get an inkling about your future, Isuggest you read it.

Published 1990 Ignatius Press. OC BOOKS price: $29.95