Go
 




Learn More About
Find More Titles by
This Author: Mark Berkson
This Narrator: Mark Berkson
This Publisher: The Great Courses

Death, Dying, and the Afterlife by Mark Berkson

Death, Dying, and the Afterlife

Lessons from World Cultures

by Mark Berkson


Title Details

Author
Narrator
Publisher
 
Audio Original
Running Time
12 Hrs. 29 Min.

Description

After thousands of years of pondering it, we still find death one of life's most perplexing mysteries. Many cultures view death as a window into the true meaning of life.

These 24 lectures looking at this often feared subject are an uplifting, meaningful, and multidisciplinary exploration of life's only certainty. Bringing together theology, philosophy, biology, anthropology, literature, psychology, sociology, and other fields, they are a brilliant compendium of how human beings have struggled to come to terms with mortality. You'll encounter everything from ancient burial practices, traditional views of the afterlife, and the five stages of grief to the question of killing during wartime, the phenomenon of near-death experiences, and even 21st-century theories about transcending death itself.

With personal and cultural enlightenment as the overarching goal, Professor Berkson provides you with eye-opening answers to several major questions surrounding death, including: How do we think about death? How do religions approach death? When (if ever) is it justified to take a life? You'll also hear a chorus of voices from multiple disciplines, cultures, and ages as they offer sometimes shocking and sometimes refreshing perspectives on death. These voices include the Buddha, St. Paul, Albert Camus, Dylan Thomas, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.

"Many religious traditions teach that a form of regular death reflection can deepen one's appreciation for life," Professor Berkson notes. "And in some traditions, it can actually lead to spiritual transformation or awakening. As the poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, 'Whoever rightly understands and celebrates death at the same time magnifies life.'"


People Who Liked Death, Dying, and the Afterlife Also Liked These Titles:
  A Widow's Guide to Healing
by Kristin Meekhof

  Start Late, Finish Rich
by David Bach