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 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.>

About the author

Richard P. Taylor teaches courses on burial and the afterlife at University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA and is an expert in religious studies.

Product details

• Authors: Richard P Taylor, Richard P. Taylor, Taylor Richard P.
• Publisher: Abc Clio Press
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 13.12.2000
• EAN: 9780874369397
• ISBN: 978-0-87436-939-7
• No. of pages: 488
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); Cultural Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Death & Dying, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology of Religion, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Reference, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, RELIGION / Reference, Religion & beliefs, Reference works, Religion and beliefs, Sociology: death and dying, Sociology: Death & Dying, Religion: Comparative