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SMITH EXAMINES HOW AMERICANS VIEW HEAVEN IN NEW BOOK |
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May 17, 2011
GROVE CITY, Pa. – Dr. Gary Smith ’72, chair of the department of history, professor of history and coordinator of the humanities core at Grove City College, examines how Americans, from the Puritans to the present, have envisioned heaven in his new book, “Heaven in the American Imagination,” published by Oxford University Press.
The book reflects on timeless questions, such as “Does heaven exist?,” “If so, what is it like?” and “How does one get in?,” through drawing from a collection of sources including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, jokes and devotional books.
Smith’s book has already received positive reviews, including from Grant Wacker, author of “Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture.” Wacker states, “With deft strokes, Smith shows that notions of heaven never strayed far from the social structures and cultural assumptions of each era and each group. The book combines the careful research of the serious scholar with the winsome prose of a seasoned journalist.”
Smith has authored several books, including “Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush,” published in 2006. Smith has been a member of the Grove City College faculty since 1978 and was named Professor of the Year in 2000.
For more information on “Heaven in the American Imagination,” visit Oxford University Press at www.oup.com or go to www.amazon.com.
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