LIFE AFTER LIFE:
Why Jesus means death Isn’t the end
By Mark Meynell
IVP. 176 pages. £12.99
ISBN 978 1 789 745 009
Since the earliest days of Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus has been a fascination and a focus point. From the victory wreath Emperor Constantine placed around the Chi Rho, to the empty cross we see in churches, to my children’s over-enthusiastic consumption of Easter eggs, reminders of the resurrection are all around us.
But I know I can find it only too easy to read the words in the Gospels, and even references later in the New Testament, and yet not really wrestle deeply with what they mean – and what they mean for my life now.
This is a book that changes that. But not in an overtly worthy way – this is a book that uses stories and illustrations to capture your imagination, drawing you into the gospel truth with creative hooks.
From Sartre to Mary Shelley, House MD to the Lion King, it takes you through a Bible overview of the resurrection and what it means in a way that is hard to put down. Yet it also doesn’t stint on detail – as we are walked through clear sections on the past, present and future, there are maps and charts for those who like to be able to put the details of the Biblical jigsaw together.
Meynell doesn’t shy away from ‘difficult’ Bible passages and provides helpful additions for apologetics (including an appendix with pointers on evidence for the resurrection).
There are also questions at the end of each chapter for those looking for something readable but that still provokes deep discussion: Why does bodily resurrection make such a big difference? Will heaven be boring? What is at the heart of Christian hope? Is the Old Testament like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle? Why is the imagination important for our Christian discipleship?
In a world that feels like it might be increasingly falling apart, this is something that takes us through complex themes of the Bible in a way that feels gloriously simple and can help us to understand the now and the not yet just a little bit better. To quote Meynell himself, this ‘is not a book about wishful thinking’ but about hope – and about the glorious foundation on which our hope is built.
