Aquinas on the Four Last Things

Book excerpt: We often think of death as the end, but it's really just the beginning of eternal life. Death, judgment, heaven, and hell — often called the Four Last Things — are both awe-inspiring and fear-inducing, yet countless saints testify to the profound spiritual benefit of contemplating the awesome mysteries that await us in the afterlife. Few saints have thought more deeply about the Four Last Things than St. Thomas Aquinas — history's greatest theologian. In these pages, Dr. Kevin Vost has made readable and accessible St. Thomas's core teachings and insights on the Four Last Things and the wondrous experiences God has in store for us. With St. Thomas as his guide, Dr. Vost explores the destination of our souls after death and uncovers the mysteries surrounding limbo and purgatory. He unveils what our bodies will look like at the resurrection and identifies the four special gifts that will perfect our bodies in heaven. You'll learn whether sinners will be “left behind” on earth and why we pray for the dead and to the saints. You won't find here any long, ponderous theological treatises, but rather rapid-fire summaries in simple, accessible language that answer for you a wide range of questions, including: Do our souls go straight to heaven or hell when we die? Are souls ever allowed to leave heaven or hell? Will children who die without Baptism suffer eternal punishment? Where is purgatory mentioned in the Bible? Will our glorified bodies glow? How could God, in His justice, punish us eternally for the sins we committed in our brief time on earth? Will the damned and the demons be released from hell one day? What kinds of rewards await us in heaven?