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<p>Preface to the Second Edition xiii</p> <p>Acknowledgments xvii</p> <p><b>1 Understanding Death 1</b></p> <p>Debates and Definitions 4</p> <p>Death and the Self 9</p> <p>Religion, Ritual, and Transformation 14</p> <p>Notes 18</p> <p>References and Further Reading 19</p> <p><b>2 Death in the Ancient World 21</b></p> <p>Egypt 23</p> <p>Bodies and Souls 24</p> <p>Transforming the Body 26</p> <p>Going Forth by Day 28</p> <p>The Story of Osiris 30</p> <p>Mesopotamia 33</p> <p>Gilgamesh and the Search for Immortality 34</p> <p>Bones and Ghost 36</p> <p>Iran 38</p> <p>Zoroaster and the Evil of Death 38</p> <p>Salvation for All 39</p> <p>Notes 42</p> <p>References and Further Reading 43</p> <p><b>3 Jewish Perspectives 45</b></p> <p>Creation, Disobedience, and Death 48</p> <p>The Soul and Sheol 51</p> <p>Resurrection and the World to Come 55</p> <p>The Journey of the Soul 59</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 65</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Estel Lita and Marsel Russo 70</p> <p>Notes 72</p> <p>References and Further Reading 73</p> <p><b>4 Christian Perspectives 75</b></p> <p>The Death of Jesus 77</p> <p>Developments in Christian Thought on the Soul 80</p> <p>Resurrection and Eternal Life 84</p> <p>Heaven and Hell 87</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 95</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Trevor and Marjorie Myers 98</p> <p>Notes 100</p> <p>References and Further Reading 101</p> <p><b>5 Muslim Perspectives 103</b></p> <p>The Names of God 107</p> <p>Ruh and Nafs 110</p> <p>The Trial of the Grave 113</p> <p>The Garden (Janna) and the Fire (Jahannam) 116</p> <p>Modern Islamic Views on Heaven and Hell 120</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 122</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Mine Khan 125</p> <p>Notes 127</p> <p>References and Further Reading 128</p> <p><b>6 Perspectives of Indigenous Peoples 129</b></p> <p>Soul Theories 133</p> <p>The Destiny of Souls 137</p> <p>Afterlife Among the Warao 138</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 142</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with</p> <p>Albert Dumont 148</p> <p>Notes 150</p> <p>References and Further Reading 151</p> <p><b>7 Hindu Perspectives 153</b></p> <p>Feeding the Ancestors 154</p> <p>The First Sacrifice 156</p> <p>Death, the Immortal 160</p> <p>The Inner Controller 161</p> <p>In the House of Death 166</p> <p>Paths to Liberation 169</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 172</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Sudha and Harsha Dehejia 178</p> <p>Notes 179</p> <p>References and Further Reading 180</p> <p><b>8 Sikh Perspectives 183</b></p> <p>Guru Nanak 183</p> <p>Sri Guru Granth Sahib: The Book that Embodies the "Imperishable Light" 185</p> <p>"There Is No Hindu and No Muslim" 186</p> <p>Liberation of the Soul and the Guru’s Grace 191</p> <p>Hukam and Death 193</p> <p>Re-defining</p> <p>Ritual 196</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 198</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Gurcharan Singh 203</p> <p>Notes 205</p> <p>References and Further Reading 207</p> <p><b>9 The Shramana Movement: Jain Perspectives 209</b></p> <p>Abandoning the Householder Life 209</p> <p>Jain Perspectives: The Concept of Soul (Jiva) 213</p> <p>Non-violence (Ahimsa) and Asceticism: The Path to Liberation 214</p> <p>Sallekhana: The Heroic Death 218</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 220</p> <p>Mantras and Prayers That May Be Recited at a Jain Funeral 223</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Yash and Jagmohan Humar 225</p> <p>Notes 227</p> <p>References and Further Reading 228</p> <p><b>10 The Shramana Movement: Buddhist Perspectives 231</b></p> <p>The Life and Death of the Buddha 232</p> <p>Foundations of the Buddha’s Dharma 234</p> <p>The Process of Becoming a Self 237</p> <p>Nirvana: The Deathless 243</p> <p>Mahayana and the Bodhisattva Ideal 246</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 248</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Ton Nu' Nguyen Phu'o'c Thuy Lan 256</p> <p>Notes 258</p> <p>References and Further Reading 258</p> <p><b>11 Religion in Chinese Culture and Daoist Perspectives 261</b></p> <p>Ancestors and Other Spirits of the Dead 263</p> <p>Soul Theories 269</p> <p>Daoist Perspectives: The Nameless Way 270</p> <p>Transformations of the Self 272</p> <p>The Search for Immortality 274</p> <p>Rituals of Departure 277</p> <p>A Conversation on Understanding Death with Wei-ting Liu 283</p> <p>Notes 286</p> <p>References and Further Reading 287</p> <p><b>12 New Ways of Accommodating Death 289</b></p> <p>Keeping the Faith: Religious Accommodation 290</p> <p>Conquering Fear: Death Positive and Beyond 294</p> <p>Life Beyond Death: The Near-Death Experience 299</p> <p>Notes 304</p> <p>References and Further Reading 305</p> <p>Index 307</p>

<p><B>ANGELA SUMEGI </B>is Associate Professor (ret.) in Religion at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. She is the author of<i> Dreamworlds of Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism: The Third Place </i>and a Senior Editor with the International Network for Training, Education, and Research on Culture, a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of Indigenous communities around the world.

<p><i>What is death?</i><BR> <i>How can we respond to death?</i><BR> <i>Why must we die?</i><BR> <i>Where do we go from here?</i><BR> <i>Do we go anywhere?</i> <p><i>Understanding Death</i> offers a thorough introduction to the views and practices of various religions regarding death and life after death. Drawing on examples from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Shamanic traditions, this student-oriented textbook explores how different conceptions of the “self” or soul inform the way humans interpret life and assign meaning to the phenomenon of death. <p>Incorporating contributions from members of each faith, <i>Understanding Death</i> provides readers with a comparative overview of how death is expressed and constructed in religious texts and canonical interpretations. Accessible chapters discuss how major religions address the nature of death itself while illustrating how history, philosophy, and ritual reflect what is important in understanding the meaning of death in that religion. <p>Now in its second edition, <i>Understanding Death </i>is revised and updated throughout, featuring three entirely new chapters on Sikhism, Jainism, as well as changing attitudes and new technologies related to death and dying in the twenty-first century. <p><i>Understanding Death: Ideas of Self and the Afterlife in Religions of the World, Second Edition</i>, is an ideal textbook for undergraduate students and lecturers in Religious Studies programs, and an excellent resource for non-specialist readers interested in the subject.

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