Awards
- Winner of Best of Reference 2002 2002
- Winner of Best of Reference 2002 2002 (United States)
- Winner of Outstanding Academic Title 2001 2002
- Winner of Outstanding Academic Title 2001 2002 (United States)
Overview
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 Death and the Afterlife: A Cultural Encyclopedia 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.
Full Product Details
Author: Richard P. Taylor
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: ABC-CLIO
Dimensions:
Width: 21.60cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 27.90cm
Weight: 0.737kg
ISBN: 9780874369397
ISBN 10: 0874369398
Pages: 488
Publication Date: 13 December 2000
Recommended Age: From 7 to 17 years
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
General/trade
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
A well-written, fascinating compilation ... an excellent addition to the reference collections of colleges, seminaries, and most larger public libraries. - American Reference Books Annual This is not a morbid study but one that yields life-giving energy. Recommended for public and academic libraries. - Booklist While this entertaining compendium will be a welcome addition to public libraries, its authoritative articles with numerous cross-references and scholarly bibliographies make it well-suited for use in academic libraries. - Lawrence Looks at Books Strongly recommended for undergraduate collections and for public libraries supporting diverse cultural communities. - Choice
Strongly recommended for undergraduate collections and for public libraries supporting diverse cultural communities.
Author Information
Richard P. Taylor teaches courses on burial and the afterlife at University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA and is an expert in religious studies.
