Death and the Afterlife: A Cultural Encyclopedia
This cultural encyclopedia examines customs and beliefs relating to death and burial in clear, well written articles covering most major religious and cultural traditions from prehistoric to modern times.
Readers of Death and the Afterlife: A Cultural Encyclopedia will find that spending time with death is life-giving in most cultures today and throughout history. The Underworld, whether the Greek Hades or the Chinese Yellow Springs, is not just a repository of the dead, but the source of fertility, wealth, and hidden wisdom bestowed only upon the adventurous who cross the border between this world and the next. This comprehensive reference work contains hundreds of entries on the sometimes obscure, complicated, and mysterious (but always fascinating) funeral customs of dozens of cultures. More than a gathering of information, this reference draws out the underlying meaning of funeral and afterlife traditions. Each entry is extensively documented and includes the insights of thoughtful native authors and commentaries directly related to the cultural topic at hand. A topic finder by culture, a bibliography, an index, and primary source references are included.Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0874369398
ISBN13:9780874369397
Release Date:December 2000
Publisher:ABC-CLIO
Length:488 Pages
Weight:2.75 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 8.5" x 11.0"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
Just Excellent
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I got this book from a bookseller in my area and was captivated by such diverse accounts. I have some time on my hands and I plan to explore this topic very deeply. I think I will check out everything by Professor Taylor too. This was a surprise and a treat.
Amazing
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
This is quite simply put an amazing piece of scholarship that I just happend to pick up at used book store. I am a retired accountant and have never studied such things but was always interested in other cultures and how beliefs are different in different places of the world or in history. I can't tell you that I understand everything in here but this book taught me something important about myself and how I relate to the rest of the world. It's funny how a little book can make such a difference. Actually, the book is not little but it's such an entertaining read for those of us addicted to the History Channel, NPR and documentaries.
Good Specialty Find
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This is a very good scholarly collection of articles about death and burial rituals. We ordered this for the library after one of our high school students used it for a report. Her teacher asked us to purchase it. If your topic is death and burial rituals, look no further. This Berkeley professor collects everything you need in a way that makes sense. My husband, not involved in the library sciences, thinks it is strange for me to be reading this book at night. I try to read and write about all new purchases for the library.
Worth it
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This book is first rate. A really terrific find from the library that I ended up purchasing on-line for a decent price. Lots of information and it's well organized. You get a good study of comparative religion by way of detailed analysis of cross-cultural and cross-religio burial ritual and ideas about the afterlife. I see that the author has co-authored another book that got a terrific review. I might go ahead and get that too. Of course, it's a specific niche topic and you should share at least a general interest before buying Death and the Afterlife: A Cultural Encyclopedia.
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