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 Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion Alan F. Segal 
 Description From The Publisher: A magisterial work of intellectual history, Life After Death illuminates the many different ways ancient civilizations grappled with the question of what exactly happens to us after we die. In a masterful exploration of how Western civilizations have defined the afterlife, Alan Segal weaves together biblical and literary scholarship, sociology, history, and philosophy. A renowned scholar, Segal examines the maps of the afterlife found in Western religious texts and reveals not only what various cultures believed but how their notions reflected their societies' realities and ideals, and why those beliefs changed over time. Arguing that in every religious tradition the afterlife represents the ultimate reward for the good, Segal combines historical and anthropological data with insights gleaned from religious and philosophical writings to explain the following mysteries:
He discusses the inner dialogues and arguments within Judaism and Christianity, as well as ideas that mark the differences of biblical views of heaven and martyrdom on Islamic beliefs, he offers a fascinating perspective on the current troubling rise of Islamic fanaticism. In tracing the organic, historical relationships between sacred texts and communities of belief and comparing the visions of life after death that have emerged throughout history, Segal sheds a bright, revealing light on the intimate connections between notions of the afterlife and the search for the ultimate meaning of life on earth. Reviews  Reader's Index Send us your favorite quotes or passages from this book. About the Author Alan F. Segal is Professor of Religion and Ingebord Rennert Professor of Jewish Studies at Bernard College, Columbia University. He is author of Paul the Convert, as well as numerous scholarly articles. Table of Contents Customer Reviews Write your own online review. Look for Similar Books by Subject  Religion
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