As I began to read Chip Ingram’s book, The Real Heaven: What the Bible Actually Says (published in 2016), I was struck by the absence of references to other books on this critical subject. I was surprised (and disappointed) that he didn’t mention any sources that inspired or informed him nor did he suggest any sources for additional reading. Indeed, in his book of 184 pages, there were only 18 footnotes and not a single one referred to a book about heaven.
I found this strange. Where, for instance, were the references and/or recommendations to Randy Alcorn’s penultimate study, Heaven or Joni Eareckson Tada’s book, Heaven, Your Real Home?
This omission was made yet more troubling when, in the first chapter, Ingram describes how his dying father’s attitudes were brilliantly transformed by reading a book on heaven that Ingram himself had given to him. Ingram writes, “I vividly remember coming back to visit my dad in his final days and observing a dramatic change in his outlook. The book helped Dad get a grasp of what Heaven is really going to be like. The truth about Heaven from God’s Word turned Dad’s fear into positive expectation…An unbelievable transformation had taken place. There was no fear and uncertainty. There was no panic or anxiety. There was only confidence and clarity. You see, my dad now had a deep assurance about Heaven. And that brought hope and comfort and made a huge difference in his last days. That experience in many ways was a catalyst for my own journey of discovering what the Bible actually teaches about Heaven.”
Encouraging? You bet. Stimulating? No doubt.
But then, inexplicably, Ingram fails to tell his readers what book he’s talking about!
I couldn’t help but thinking, “Why write your own book on heaven if such an excellent study on the topic, one of which you have profound experience of its salutary effects, already exists? Why would you not — at the very least — let your readers know about this great book so they could have yet another helpful source besides your own?”
Well, I’m now quite a bit further into Chip Ingram’s book and, though there certainly is value in reading it, I don’t find it nearly as informative, inspiring, or confidently joyful as are either Randy’s or Joni’s books on heaven. So, take it from someone who, with immense delight, has read Heaven and Heaven, Your Real Home more than once, I’d go with one (or both) of those to enlighten your mind on this critically important subject.
