Part One: An Overview of Beliefs in an Afterlife from Major World
Religions
Chapter 1: Ancient Conceptions
Chapter 2: Judaism
Chapter 3: Christianity
Chapter 4: Islam
Chapter 5: Hinduism
Chapter 6: Buddhism
Chapter 7: Chinese Religions
Chapter 8: African Religions
Part Two: An Overview of the Research into Experiences of an
Afterlife
Chapter 9: Mediumship
Chapter 10: Apparitions and Hauntings
Chapter 11: Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences
Chapter 12: Past-Life Memories
Part Three: Beliefs and Experiences: An Attempt at a Synthesis
Chapter 13: Comparison of Beliefs
Chapter 14: Comparison of Phenomena
Epilogue: Speculations on Mysticism and the Afterlife
Christopher M. Moreman is professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at California State University, East Bay. He has edited several volumes, including Oxford’s Teaching Death and Dying and The Routledge Companion to Death and Dying, among other publications.
Moreman (philosophy and religious studies, California State Univ.,
East Bay), editor of Routledge Companion to Death and Dying (2018),
provides an accessible overview of different spiritual traditions'
beliefs about the state of the human body and soul after death. The
book covers the major world religions—Judaism, Christianity,
Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism—but Moreman expands this second edition
(the first edition appeared in 2008) to include African traditions.
In addition, he includes the beliefs and practices of individuals
such as mediums and those who have had near-death experiences,
looking at how they have shaped cultural views of the afterlife.
What is most helpful about this book is that it presents these
traditions in a fair, informative, and balanced way without getting
lost in more technical debates or theological questions that might
be of more concern to specialists. Moreman's inclusiveness makes
the book relevant for those interested in cultural studies as well
as those studying religion and dying. Summing Up: Recommended.
Lower-division undergraduates; general readers; professionals.
*CHOICE*
There are only a few academic books in the new millennium dealing
with afterlife beliefs. Christopher Moreman’s second edition of his
book, Beyond the Threshold: Afterlife Beliefs and Experiences
in World Religions, is most welcome in this context. . . Moreman is
to be commended for expanding the usually narrow focus on the
afterlife in the religious studies field. . . Moreman is also to be
commended for bravely bringing subjects such as spiritualism,
mediumship, ghosts, near death experience (NDE), out of body
experience (OBE), and past life memories into the academic arena. .
. . All afterlife beliefs stem from a basic human religious
experience, and despite many differences of interpretation, most
human cultures agree that some sort of mysterious survival exists
beyond death. Moreman’s book is a good starting point for any
scholar interested in this subject.
*Reading Religion*
This is a revised and expanded edition of Christopher Moreman’s
book on afterlife beliefs. It is based on wide ranging research
into a topic of key importance to the religions of the world. It is
both accessible and scholarly. Moreman’s discussion of
controversial issues is fair, balanced, and well informed. The book
makes a major contribution to academic understanding and
establishes Moreman as a leading authority in this area.
*Paul Badham, emeritus, University of Wales*
Beyond the Threshold is the one textbook I know of that not only
introduces beliefs about the afterlife, but also examines reported
experiences of the afterlife. Students love the chapters on ghosts,
séances, and near-death experiences. But they benefit from the
engaging discussions of the major religious views as well. The
updates and new glossaries make a great book even better.
*Rebecca Moore, emerita, San Diego State University*
This excellent, even-handed and open-minded discussion of afterlife
beliefs covers the major world religious traditions, as well as
research from non-traditional sources. While the information on
afterlife teachings in the religions may be familiar, the ideas and
claims about afterlife from mediums, psychic researchers, and
near-death experiencers are more novel. Moreman presents them with
unusual clarity and philosophical sophistication. I recommend this
book highly for those seeking to move beyond conventional
believer-versus-atheist debates and learn about the topic in
depth.
*Lucy Bregman, Temple University*
This thought-provoking book provides two lenses through which to
perceive the afterlife: the teachings of world religions and
anomalous experiences. Each is treated historically and critically,
with similarities and differences noted. Clear and comprehensive,
the result is unique: a highly informative compendium and an
adventurous attempt at synthesis.
*Tony Walter, Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath*
Beliefs about an afterlife are what Carl Jung called objective
interpretations of our continuing bonds with those who have died.
Neither religious claims about how people live on nor the
experiences by which we continue our bonds, however, fit easily
into the logical positivism that dominates the contemporary Western
mindset. In this excellent book Christopher Moreman takes on the
question of afterlife directly. First he examines the beliefs of
many of the world’s religious traditions. Then he examines the
studies of mediums, apparitions and hauntings, near death
experiences, and past life memories. He is respectful of his
sources and at the same time he gives readers the benefit of his
fine critical mind.
*Dennis Klass, emeritus, Webster University*
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