Death and the Afterlife is a critical examination of literature from the ancient Near East including the Bible, that deals with death, dying, and the “next life,” an examination of the ways Western culture has attempted to address and understand these issues, and a comparative analysis of similar themes in a variety of non-Western traditions. The course examines ways in which various constructions of “heaven” and “hell” reflect the influence of ancient religious thought and literature on modem social structures, social values, and notions of justice.
RELS 251: Death and the Afterlife
Class Program