End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life Paperback – January 26, 2009

Eschatology is the theological study of the four final things: death, judgement, heaven, and hell. About 5 years ago, I tried to read a short book I had bought on the subject. As a Catholic convert, I wanted to understand these topics from a Catholic perspective. My initial attempt with my first book was a failure because I could not get past my fear of hell. This was not supposed to be the outcome of the book.Several months ago, I read a review of this book. From the review, I learned that St. Therese of Lisieux had found this book to be one of the greatest graces of her life. She was 14 years old when she read it. I read "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese during my conversion process through RCIA, so I had to read this book and trust that if it made such an impression on her, it would make an impact on me, too.St. Therese was not wrong, and I was not wrong. This is a book that will change lives. Within the first few paragraphs of the first conference or chapter, I had to check the dates for Fr. Arminjon. As other reviewers have stated, this book seems written for our times not for people who lived over 100 years ago. I read the book during my hours of Eucharistic Adoration, and many times, I overstayed my hour because I could not put it down. Fr. Arminjon is an elegant writer who fully explains these end times concepts with resources from the Bible and the Church Fathers.All of the chapters are beneficial, but the one that most captivated me was the last one, "The Mystery of Suffering in Its Relationship with Future Life." For years the concept of Redemptive Suffering was one I accepted on faith, but I really didn't understand it. One of the earlier reviewers quoted the phrase "offer it up" used by the nuns he or she was in contact with. In the aftermath of Katrina, I heard a nun say "We can't waste the suffering," in a radio interview. I pondered these phrases and sort of began to get what they meant--but, after reading this chapter, I understand these concepts much more fully now. I understand St. Therese's life--especially the last part of her life when she knew she was dying, so much better now, too.I recommend reading all of the reviews. Many of the reviewers delve into the theology behind the concepts very intelligently. I am very grateful to Susan Conroy and all who helped her bring this book back into print in an English translation. It is a treasure that has changed my life.

This book is an easy read, it's not loaded down with academic, scholarly terms that only serve put the reader to sleep. It's an easy read because it's written with a perfect flow of the events of the Apocalypse, what the Saints had to say about the end times over the centuries. Extremely informative and enlightening book, you will not regret buying it. By the way, this book was read by Saint Therese of LIseaux and she highly recommended it. She said it was the best book she'd ever read, (paraphrase).

I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt privileged to have been given the opportunity to read this book given that it was almost lost. The efforts of one lady, who was able to track down a copy of it and then get the subsequent translation complete, with others she collaborated with, took the best part of 20 years. We should all be thankful to them for the dedication they have shown in bringing this book back to life for a new generation of readers. St. Therese of Lisieux read this book when she was fourteen years old and she states that reading it was one of the greatest graces of her life.It is very well written and fairly easy to read. It comprises of nine chapters each dedicated to one of the nine conferences that were given by the French priest Charles Arminjon in the late nineteenth century. These helped his congregation to turn away from this life's mean material affairs and towards the next life's glorious spiritual rewards.The book provides insight into many aspects of the Catholic faith, which I found absorbing. I particularly enjoyed the second, fifth and ninth conferences. These three chapters covered· The Persecution by the Antichrist and the Conversion of the Jews· Purgatory· The Mystery of Suffering in its Relationship with the Future LifeOverall this book is a true gem and contains wise and uncompromising words that will deepen your spirit of recollection that all Christians must have: the abiding conviction that heavenly aims, not temporal enthusiasms, must guide everything we think, say and do.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen his or her knowledge of the Catholic faith.

A grandiloquent previous reviewer and the synopsis of the book point out the importance of this book to St. Therese, so I won't go into that here. I think it stands well enough on its own even despite its connection to the Little Flower.I would divide this book into three sections: first, it presents a Catholic end-times theology, and details the coming of the Antichrist, Resurrection of the Dead, and Last Judgment. Next, it discusses Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell. Finally, it discusses the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and suffering, which of course deal with this world but have consequences in the hereafter. The chapters of the book are actually conferences that Fr. Arminjon presented, and since they were initially delivered as speeches they are easy reading despite the wealth of information they contain. The translation is excellent.With the popularity of the Left Behind series and the importance of end-times theology to the Evangelical Protestant community, it's nice to have a presentation of Catholic eschatology. I've had a hard time finding a book that does what this one does--namely presenting what exactly will happen when the time comes for Christ to return. Catholics place less of an emphasis on this than Protestants, but it's still a part of our religion and needs to be understood. This book was written before the historical-critical interpretation of scripture became prevalent in the Catholic Church, and so prophesy is interpreted literally instead of being explained away as a metaphor only relevant to the ancient author. It's frightening, but living life with one eye fixed on the four last things will make anyone a better Christian.