Paradise Reconsidered

Subtitled '9/11 and 7/7 - reincarnation and the lost gospel of Jesus', this book was written in the aftermath of these events when the writer was struck by the inadequacy of standard theological perspectives when confronted with such situations. Early on, the author asks if current atrocities would have come about if political leaders took on board the 'doctrine and reality in rebirth'. Personally I think they would have, as there is ample historical and contemporary evidence to suggest that the prospect of another life in which one is accountable does not act as a general brake on antisocial behaviour. I have put forward a similar argument myself in relation to the life review in near death experiences. In this respect, a belief in reincarnation does not differ significantly from a belief in the afterlife, since both imply a degree of personal accountability. Nor does the author puts his points in the context of the long-running debate about theodicy, where a reincarnation is only one possible view. However, he does do a good job of describing the history of the doctrine of reincarnation within Christianity, also arguing, as some thinkers have done before him, that reincarnation is not inconsistent with Christianity. The book is available from Crest Publishing, BCM Box 1398, London WC1N 3XX for £11 including 2nd class postage.