‘[Ehrman’s] is a vast learning worn wonderfully lightly and he is an engaging but expert guide around how religious ideas were formed and shaped our world.’

– The Times

‘This elegant history explores the evolution of the concept of the afterlife in Western thought... Well-trod subjects are presented with engaging clarity, and more contentious theories are laid out carefully.’

– The New Yorker

‘Many redoubtable volumes have been written about all this, but Ehrman, who already has more than two-dozen books on early Christianity under his belt, merrily blows the dust off the subject.’

– The Economist

‘As lucid, learned and fascinating as ever, Ehrman has written a brilliant book on a profoundly important topic. Wonderful.’

– Catherine Nixey, author of The Darkening Age

‘An impressively readable, clear and wide-ranging study.’

– Spectator

‘Ehrman, as always, writes in a very accessible way, and gives the reader plenty to think about.’

– Irish Independent

‘A number of religions and philosophies give detailed accounts of post-mortem existence; in this learned and highly readable book, Bart Ehrman offers a tour of the whole field… There are many nuances possible here; Ehrman presents them all with great clarity and massive scholarship.'

– TLS

‘The reader is struck by his nimbleness in drawing the thread of this rich-layered narrative, sprinkling larger thematic arcs with anecdotes that honor the non-lineal and multivalent nature of eschatological thought.’

– Boston Globe

‘Do after-life threats and promises distract from this-world problems and hopes? Could heaven and hell be options in the present here-and-now rather than locations in the future then-and-here? Read this book and think.’

– John Dominic Crossan, author of Resurrecting Easter

‘There’s no one I’d rather read on what Christians believe, and why they believe it, than Bart Ehrman. This is a wise and fascinating book.’

– Tom Bissell, author of Apostle

‘Ehrman’s eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions is scintillating, fresh, and will appeal to scholars and lay readers alike.’

– Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

‘Honest discussion about this is long overdue… [‘Heaven and Hell’] is a wide-ranging book.'

– Methodist Recorder