Heaven Or Hell: The Last Judgment

You know the old story: when Adam partook of the apple, he blamed Eve; she, in turn, blamed the serpent; God kicked all three out of the Paradise Hotel. Adam got mortality, Eve got contractions (which turned out to be rather painful), and the serpent got to travel by belly for the remainder of its days. But, worst of all, Heaven was no longer the automatic end of the line. Future travelers could go to Heaven...or be sidetracked to Hell. Heaven or Hell: The Last Judgment is the final installment in Professor Lois Swan Jones trilogy on the development of Christian Symbolism (Madonna and Child [VL-1/93], Crucifixion and Resurrection [VL-3/95]). Combining voice-over narration with pictures of religious sculpture--many from medieval cathedrals--the program focuses on the concepts of sin and divine retribution in examining the architectural iconography in reliefs depicting the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Last Judgment. As in earlier volumes, the fact that the approach here is more scholarly than mainstream makes this a more appropriate choice for academic libraries with a need for programs on religious art. Recommended. (R. Pitman)