Beyond Death : Theological and Philosophical Reflections of Life After Death

Throughout history human beings have been preoccupied with personal survival after death. Most world religions therefore proclaim that life continues beyond the grave, and they have depicted the Hereafter in a variety of forms. These various conceptions constitute answers to the most perplexing spiritual questions: Will we remember our former lives in the Hereafter? Will we have bodies? Can bodiless souls recognize each other? Will we continue to have personal identity? Will we be punished or rewarded, or absorbed into the Godhead? These issues serve as the basis of this collection of essays which provide a framework for understanding traditional conceptions of the Hereafter as well as new perspectives. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introductory Reflections: Life beyond Life....Pages 1-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 A Christian Approach to Eternal Life....Pages 13-26 ‘Go Joyfully’: The Mystery of Death and Resurrection....Pages 27-41 The Christian Heaven....Pages 42-53 The Jewish Doctrine of Hell....Pages 54-65 Life and Beyond in the Qur’an....Pages 66-79 The Indestructible Soul — Indian and Asian Beliefs....Pages 80-94 Death’s Rituals....Pages 95-103 Mourning: The Song is Over but the Memory Lingers On....Pages 104-115 Front Matter....Pages 117-117 Death and Immortality: Towards a Global Synthesis....Pages 119-126 Beyond Death: The Case of New Religions....Pages 127-136 Death and the Afterlife: New Approaches to an Old Question....Pages 137-144 Are Near-Death Experiences Really Suggestive of Life after Death?....Pages 145-163 The Near-Death Experience: A Glimpse of Heaven and Hell?....Pages 164-172 Human Survival of Death: Evidence and Prospects....Pages 173-182 Life after Death: A Fate Worse than Death....Pages 183-198 Beyond the Crematorium — Popular Belief....Pages 199-206 Back Matter....Pages 207-219 'In a book of such varied contents, it is certain that eveyone will find something which will challenge and inform - and indeed, on occasion, inspire.'- John Bowker, Church Times Throughout history human beings have been preoccupied with personal survival after death. As a consequence, most world religions proclaim that life continues beyond the grave, and they have depicted the Hereafter in a variety of forms. These various conceptions constitute answers to the most perplexing spiritual questions: Will we remember our former lives in the Hereafter? Will we have bodies? Can bodiless souls recognize each other? Will we continue to have personal identity? Will we be punished or rewarded, or absorbed into the Godhead? These issues serve as the basis of this collection of essays which provide a framework for understanding traditional conceptions of the Hereafter as well as new perspectives. Most world religions proclaim that life continues beyond the grave and attempt to answer such questions as: Will we remember our former lives? Will we have bodies? Such issues serve as the basis of these essays which provide a framework for understanding concepts of the Hereafter. Edited By Dan Cohn-sherbok And Christopher Lewis ; Introduced By Lionel Blue. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 207-208) And Index.