Scott Hahn and Emily Stimpson Chapman have written a marvelous and timely book, Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body. It not only explains the Christian meaning of death, and of the afterlife, but also the importance Christianity places on the body. The logic of relics and of the Sacraments makes profound sense when we understand them in this context. They ground their discussion, not only in light of contemporary Church teaching, but also in the teachings of the Church Fathers and of the Bible. Death is a reality we all have to face—it’s the one certitude everyone is prepared to admit, but so few are prepared to embrace. Hope to Die goes a long way in helping us prepare well for that moment, not only by helping us understand it better, but as importantly, in encouraging us to live so as to prepare ourselves for that final moment, which we do not know when will come. Instead of fearing that moment, this book encourages hope, and explains why, in some sense, what comes after death, should be something for which we yearn. They situate Church teaching on death, the body, the resurrection, heaven, etc., in the pages of Scripture, showing the organic growth as the Tradition continues to reflect on these important matters, and apply them in our changing contexts over time. They show how the body itself is a sort of sacrament; it has spiritual significance. They cover a host of related topics including Christian burials, funerals, death, judgement, the bodily resurrection, Catholic devotions including relics, and the Eucharist. My favorite chapter, I think, was chapter 9, on what heaven will be like, and how our lives will finally make sense, as will the lives of others, and all of human history. We should spend our whole lives lovingly preparing for the next, when everything in our life that seemed a mystery will finally make sense as we lovingly contemplate God’s fatherly providence with Him, the author of our lives and of human history. This is a book you will want to read, and reread over and over again during key moments of your life. It is available for pre-order here: https://stpaulcenter.com/product/hope-to-die-the-christian-meaning-of-death-and-the-resurrection-of-the-body/?fbclid=IwAR0eKnf4ZO2FWeLLeS6v7gLzQSyPpHz2uRerNw_6HgMFyW-FUsx_FSqBX8o

We both detected a faint, high-pitched noise—barely audible but highly annoying. 

One by one, I turned off my computer, my printer and my monitor—but the noise remained.

We opened my office window, thinking the sound might be coming from outisde.

Nope.

Wondering about the heating ducts, I knelt down to put my ear to the vent. 

No luck.

Where was it coming from?

Finding the source had become my mission.

We walked outside my office and asked our secretary, “Do you hear a noise?”

Stopping what she was doing, she perked up her ears—and heard it. 

In each work space we visited, the noise was detectable.  It seemed to be taunting us.

Alone, I headed to the basement, checking the boiler and the computer network, and generally scanning the area.

I couldn’t pinpoint the sound.

Back upstairs in the preschool area, I approached the teachers. They quieted the students, and everyone listened intently.

Sure enough, they all heard the noise. 

Several of us walked around the facility—without solving the mystery.

Another colleague and I checked the elevator and the restrooms.

Forty-five minutes later, we were still searching.

Growing frustrated, a co-worker and I took a break at a coffee shop across the street.

We ordered, then sat down to chat.

Suddenly, I heard the noise again.

“How is this possible?” I wondered to myself.

We hadn’t heard the sound while walking over. 

As my friend talked, thoughts of the noise—now in two buildings—consumed me.

The sound seemed to be following me.

And then it dawned on me.

I jumped up and grabbed my cell phone from a pocket. 

The noise!

A malfunctioning battery was causing the faint, high-pitched buzzing.

Like a kid seizing a toy from a cereal box, I stood in the coffee shop holding the phone in the air as if I’d won a prize.

We laughed and laughed about the time and energy we’d spent on the mystery.

The experience taught me a lesson: Before you go searching to find the source of a problem, look inward.

My new book on J.R.R. Tolkien just came out, entitled, Seeking the Lord of Middle Earth: Theological Essays on J.R.R. Tolkien, and is available from Amazon, Wipf & Stock, etc. Here’s the official description:

“J. R. R. Tolkien, the beloved author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, brings to his work a great treasure–his Christian faith. Tolkien’s literary works are so popular in part because, in some sense, they pertain to the real world. This present volume is an attempt to understand better the deep Christian influences on his work but also to explore the relevance of Tolkien’s work for theology today. After examining Tolkien’s fiction in order better to appreciate Christian influences, this volume takes a closer look at Tolkien’s theology of fantasy, his response to the more skeptical origins of religion research, and applies his work to contemporary questions about method in biblical studies. Tolkien’s Christianity informed all he wrote. Moreover, his own theology of fantasy holds great promise for contemporary theology.”

Over the next few weeks I will be giving a three part webinar with the Institute of Catholic Culture dealing with the history of the crisis in modern biblical interpretation. The three part webinar is entitled, “Deconstructing the Bible: Understanding the Crisis in Biblical Interpretation.” You can sign up for the live webinar here. The webinar will be live from 7:30-9:30pm EST on the following Tuesdays: June 6, June 13, and June 20. Hope to “see” you there. We will not be focusing on my Three Skeptics and the Bible, however some of the material there is bound to come up as well. The description from the Institute of Catholic Culture reads:

“In our contemporary society, people often approach the Bible with suspicion. In these presentations, Dr. Morrow explores the philosophical, theological, and political roots of the long history that led to the present circumstances, showing that rather than distrusting the Bible, we should instead be suspicious of the skeptics.”

Just in time for Easter, the Principium Institute has published my book on the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, entitled, Jesus’ Resurrection: A Jewish Convert Examines the Evidence. It is available in both paperback as well as in Kindle. In this volume, I walk through the historical evidence that Jesus in fact rose from the dead. Much of this evidence was instrumental in my own conversion, but I update the volume in light of my more recent research since my conversion. The volume is intended for a popular audience, but it contains endnotes and bibliography for the interested scholar.

Here’s what others have to say:

Scott Hahn wrote:

“Dr. Jeffrey Morrow is a brilliant theologian whose work on the Resurrection provides abundant historical evidence for this greatest of biblical miracles. Highly recommended.”

Brant Pitre, the author of The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ, wrote:

“As a convert to Christianity from Judaism, Jeffrey Morrow brings a unique perspective to the quest for Jesus. Even more, he leaves no stone unturned in the debate over what happened to Jesus’ body on the first Easter morning. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer, if you’re looking for a clear, concise, and compelling case for the Resurrection, then this is the book for you.”

Ancient historian Edwin Yamauchi wrote:

“Jeffrey Morrow has produced a lucid and erudite defense of the resurrection of Jesus after years of exhaustive research. His extensive bibliography includes just about everything written in English, French, German, and Italian which supports or denies the resurrection of Jesus.”