The rise and fall of the afterlife : the 1995 Read-Tuckwell lectures at the University of Bristol

Belief in the afterlife is still very much alive in Western civilisation, even though the truth of its existence is no longer universally accepted. Surprisingly, however, heaven, hell and the immortal soul were all ideas which arrived relatively late in the ancient world. Originally Greece and Israel - the cultures that gave us Christianity - had only the vaguest ideas of an afterlife. So where did these concepts come from and why did they develop? In this fascinating, learned, but highly readable book, Jan N. Bremmer - one of the foremost authorities on ancient religion - takes a fresh look at the major developments in the Western imagination of the afterlife, from the ancient Greeks to the modern near-death experience. The Afterlife Is Still Very Much Alive In Western Civilisation, Even Though The Truth Of Its Existence Is No Longer Universally Accepted. Surprisingly, However, Heaven, Hell And The Immortal Soul Were All Ideas Which Arrived Relatively Late In The Ancient World. Originally Greece And Israel - The Cultures That Gave Us Christianity - Had Only The Vaguest Ideas Of An Afterlife. So Where Did These Concepts Come From And Why Did They Develop? This Perceptive And Intriguing Book Concludes That Every Period Gets The Afterlife It Deserves. It Will Be Of Interest To All Those Interested In What Other Cultures Have Believed About Life After Death, As Well As Being A Standard Work For Students And Researchers In Ancient Religions, Cultural History, And The History And Sociology Of Religion.--book Jacket. 1. Inventing The Afterlife -- 2. Orphism, Pythagoras And The Rise Of The Immortal Soul -- 3. Travelling Souls? Greek Shamanism Reconsidered -- 4. Resurrection From Zoroaster To Late Antiquity -- 5. Development Of The Early Christian Afterlife: From The Passion Of Perpetua To Purgatory -- 6. Ancient Necromancy And Modern Spiritualism -- 7. Near-death Experiences: Ancient, Medieval And Modern -- App. 1. Why Did Jesus' Followers Call Themselves 'christians'? -- App. 2. Birth Of The Term 'paradise' -- App. 3. God's Heavenly Palace As A Military Court: The Vision Of Dorotheus. Jan N. Bremmer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 187-223) And Index. Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 1 Inventing the afterlife......Page 14 2 Orphism, Pythagoras and the rise of the immortal soul......Page 24 3 Travelling souls? Greek shamanism reconsidered......Page 40 4 The resurrection from Zoroaster to late antiquity......Page 54 5 The development of the early Christian afterlife: from the Passion of Perpetua to purgatory......Page 69 6 Ancient necromancy and modern spiritualism......Page 84 7 Near-death experiences: ancient, medieval and modern......Page 100 Appendix 1: Why did Jesus’ followers call themselves ‘Christians’?......Page 116 Appendix 2: The birth of the term ‘Paradise’......Page 122 Appendix 3: God’s heavenly palace as a military court: The Vision of Dorotheus......Page 141 Notes......Page 147 Bibliography......Page 200 Index......Page 238 Even though their existence is no longer universally accepted, heaven and hell are still very much alive in Western civilisation Priests and ministers often refer to them (if, admittedly, less to hell), literature uses them as metaphors, and the cinema even occasionally tries to represent them. In this perceptive and intriguing book, Bremmer takes a fresh look at the major developments in the Western imagination of the afterlife, from the ancient Greeks to the modern near-death experience