Evangelicals are sometimes leery of talking about heaven. There are several reasons for this.

First, especially in Reformed circles, we often emphasize the continuity of creation between the present world and the new heavens and new earth. As a result, we sometimes neglect to discuss the points of difference that make our future dwelling in the presence of God something that should leave us with a deep longing. Second, as a culture, we’re still recovering from the effects of a cottage industry of “near-death experience” accounts that were extremely popular but usually entirely inconsistent with the biblical data on the topic. It feels safer to be silent than to risk theological error. Third, the accusation that Christians are “so heavenly minded they’re no earthly good” echoes through society. Sometimes we fail to talk about the afterlife for fear of being accused of being escapists.

Yet none of these excuses is sound. There will be a great deal of continuity between this world and the next; yet the renovated wonder of the new heavens and new earth can’t be ignored. Additionally, the proper response to errant thinking about heaven isn’t silence; it’s sound doctrine. Moreover, escapism isn’t a necessary corollary of a heavenward focus. As C. S. Lewis memorably argued in Mere Christianity, “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”

The six books on this list encourage a heavenward focus and fuel a deeper longing for the world to come.

1. Matthew McCullough, Remember Heaven: Meditations on the World to Come for Life in the Meantime (Crossway, 2025) (TGC Store | Amazon)

A seasoned saint recently told me that he knew he should look forward to heaven but it sounded boring to him. The problem isn’t heaven. It’s that the individual had an anemic view of eternity. McCullough’s book Remember Heaven addresses common misconceptions about heaven as he explores the hope that should leave us longing for the new heavens and new earth. He argues that instead of suppressing our longing for heaven through distraction, we should dig deeper into a true vision of heaven so we long for it even more.

2. Cameron Cole, Heavenward: How Eternity Can Change Your Life on Earth (Crossway, 2024) (TGC Store | Amazon)

Cole’s life changed when his son unexpectedly died. Though Cole always had a theological understanding of heaven, his life had been more focused on this present world than the one to come. Tragedy and sorrow changed that. He argues that having his new heavenward perspective “provided richer fellowship with Jesus.” It gave him more hope and a better focus on ministry, prayer, and evangelism. This book exhorts readers to share in a greater heavenward vision.

3. Andrew M. Davis, The Glory Now Revealed: What We’ll Discover About God in Heaven (Baker, 2021) (TGC Store | Amazon)

Will we remember what happened in this life when we’re glorified and standing in God’s presence? This is a central question in Davis’s The Glory Now Revealed. He explains there’s more continuity than discontinuity between this world and the next. Therefore, we should live this earthly life in view of the eternal life to come. Though we see in a mirror dimly now, we’ll understand so much better when we reach glory (1 Cor 13:12).

4. Richard Baxter, The Saints’ Everlasting Rest, updated and abridged by Tim Cooper (Crossway, 2022) (Amazon)

Baxter is one of the most prolific Puritan writers, but (like most Puritans) he’s not always easy to read. Cooper served the church by updating and abridging Baxter’s classic 1650 work. This edition balances rigorous, systematic reflection on eternity with readability. The result is a delightful, practical exposition on how to develop a heavenly mindset in this life and why that matters. Additionally, Cooper includes end-of-chapter questions and a detailed outline, which can help those leading group discussions.

5. Amy Baik Lee, This Homeward Ache: How Our Yearning for the Life to Come Spurs on Our Life Today (B&H, 2023) (TGC Store | Amazon)

Lee borrows from the idea of longing (Sehnsucht) that Lewis describes in Surprised by Joy. With beautiful prose and well-told stories, Lee shows readers how that deep longing for something beyond this world is good and how it should spur us on toward holiness in this life. This book is more devotional than theological, but for those wearied by the burdens of the modern world, it’s refreshing. There’s a reason it received an award of distinction in the 2023 TGC Book Awards.

6. Randy Alcorn, Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home (Tyndale Momentum, 2004) (TGC Store | Amazon)

This book was originally published during the height of the heavenly tourism fad. A lot of people were talking about heaven, but what they were talking about had little to do with Scripture. Alcorn’s book is systematic and reasonably comprehensive as he works through biblical texts on eternity. His stated goal is to be biblical. At the same time, there are places where Alcorn speculates using a sanctified imagination. This is a helpful, accessible book that should be read with an open Bible.