Book Review: What Is Heaven Like? by Richard R. Eng

Shortly after graduating with our M.A. in Christian Apologetics, Tim Stratton asked me to join the blogging team of FreakEng Ministries, the ministry of his friend, Richard Eng. This is where I got my introduction to apologetics writing and began honing my skills as a writer. Eventually, this platform would evolve into FreeThinking Ministries. While Rich is no longer a regular contributor at FTM, he has remained a friend of ours and an occasional guest contributor. Rich also continues to serve the Church as Family Pastor for his congregation and now as a children’s author.Rich and I share a similar passion of equipping regular Christians and families to engage the culture, especially through the realm of cultural apologetics. Rich even has an M.A. in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University (which I consider to be the cousin of Strat’s and my alma mater, Biola University). Rich and I both believe that story can be a powerful way of relating God’s truth. And while I’ve had the privilege of working on some cool writing projects over the years, I admit I’m jealous that Rich has beaten me to the punch at writing a children’s book. However, I don’t envy what Rich had to face for this book to come to fruition.In early 2021, Rich and his wife lost their unborn child shortly after learning she was pregnant. I can’t imagine the pain they endured, especially being that my wife and I are currently expecting our third child. But this tragedy ultimately served as an inspiration for Rich. He wrote an imagined discussion with his lost child about heaven, which eventually became this book, In this book, a father and his six-year-old son, Jesse, talk about heaven while on a fishing trip. Jesse has some typical childlike beliefs about the afterlife, which Jesse’s dad seeks to correct. In Lewis-ian fashion, Rich (a.k.a. Dad) explains how heaven is not some dream world, but is more real and true than the one in which we now live. There, we will see clearly for the first time.The second misconception is that heaven will be boring, which is a very common characterization of the afterlife. We have this image of people sitting on clouds playing harps and singing all day, which, honestly, I think is pretty boring, too. But as Papa Rich explains to Jesse, heaven will be more than one eternal concert. We will have meaning and purpose. Just as Adam and Eve were caretakers of all creation, the same responsibility will be granted to us as well. Our work in heaven won’t be burdensome, but it will be deeply satisfying. I like to think that the whole universe will be our sandbox, and our sole commands from God will be to play and explore.C.S. Lewis once said, “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” As a parent, I agree with this wholeheartedly. Reading with my children is one of my greatest joys as a parent. It is such a more meaningful time when we are both immersed in a good story together. accomplishes this purpose, as it helps parents not just to entertain their children, but to engage them in theological truths, similar to William Lane Craig’s “What Is God Like?” series.God used Rich’s pain to be an inspiration, allowing Rich to craft a story he hopes will help parents begin important theological discussions with their children. Maybe it will even lead parents to become more reflective of their own theological beliefs as well.To learn more about Richard R. Eng and , visit richardreng.com.