Life Everlasting

Fiske, John, 1842-1901Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 63K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Life Everlasting by John FiskeAuthor: Fiske, John, 1842-1901,Language: English, Class: BT: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Doctrinal theology, God, Christology, Release Date: Dec 5, 2010

Editor's review

Life Everlasting is John Fiske's discursive work on Christian doctrine and the question of the afterlife, published as a public-domain eBook. Fiske was known for writing on philosophy and religious thought; this book addresses ultimate questions of the continuation of life, the soul, and faith, and bears the clear stamp of its era's speculative thinking. Its value lies not in offering easy answers but in modeling a serious mode of inquiry: readers can observe how a nineteenth-century intellectual handled religious propositions in philosophical language. It demands patience and suits slow reading with note-taking, separating arguments from evidence. Readers interested in philosophy of religion and intellectual history will find it a useful sample of the period's discussion context; those seeking spiritual consolation may find it rather theoretical.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Speculative readers interested in philosophy of religion and the afterlife
Students of nineteenth-century intellectual history who need primary-text samples
Deep readers accustomed to slow argument who are willing to take notes
Readers of the English original who want to understand the context of Christian doctrinal debate

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light inspirational comfort or immediate consolation
Those who struggle with English and cannot follow long arguments
Beginners seeking a systematic theology textbook framework

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and the opening and closing chapters first to grasp the main line of argument before going back for close reading.
After each chapter, summarize the author's position in one or two sentences to avoid being led astray by long sentences.
When encountering philosophical terms, infer from context first and look them up together after finishing a passage.
Read alongside other works in philosophy of religion to compare different lines of argument.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is this book mainly about?

Judging from its classification and title, the book centers on "life everlasting" and discusses the afterlife, the soul, and faith within Christian doctrine. It is argumentative rather than narrative writing, and readers must follow the author's reasoning to understand his position gradually.

Can I read it without a theology background?

Yes, but it takes patience. This is not an introductory textbook, and religious and philosophical terms appear in the arguments. It is best to first get a general outline of basic Christian doctrine and then read chapter by chapter slowly; mark unfamiliar concepts and look them up after finishing a section rather than while reading, which goes more smoothly.

Is it suitable as devotional reading?

Not really. The book emphasizes philosophical argument and doctrinal discussion; its tone is speculative and it is not aimed at comfort or prayer practice. If you need devotional companionship in writing, you may find it rather theoretical; if you want to understand how the afterlife is argued, it is fairly suitable.

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About the author

Fiske, John, 1842-1901 Author

Fiske, John (1842–1901) was a nineteenth-century American historian and writer of popular philosophy, with 19 works held in this collection. His historical writing focuses mainly on early American history and the founding era, including The Beginnings of New England, The Critical Period of American History, The War of Independence, and the two-volume Old Virginia and Her Neighbours. These works emphasize fluent narrative and the arrangement of historical sources, and are addressed to general readers rather than scholars alone. On philosophy and religion he wrote The Idea of God as Affected by Modern Knowledge and The Destiny of Man, Viewed in the Light of His Origin, attempting to discuss faith and the human condition in terms of the scientific knowledge of his day. He also produced civic-education works such as Civil Government in the United States. His clear, popular style gave his books wide circulation among late nineteenth-century American readers; because public information is limited, biographical details are not elaborated here.