Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures

Everything about death and dying you want to know

I am surprised at how much there is to say about death and dying. Mark Berkson, Professor and Chair in the Religion Department at Hamline University (USA), brings together a thesaurus of facts from vastly different disciplines addressing the issue of death in 24 half hour lectures.

He begins the course by asking what death is. Quickly the listener becomes aware that death is not such an easy concept to define. Using insights from the medical sciences Prof. Berkson challenges traditional views.

After defining death, the listener is challenged with his/ her own fear of death and how one copes with grief. Hereafter he/ she is introduced to various rituals surrounding the death of a loved one in different cultures, creating a sensitivity and understanding for other peoples' beliefs.

The beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife from the stance of various religions, gets quite a lot of attention. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Syncretistic beliefs are all discussed.

Issues like dying well and what it means, suicide, euthanasia, killing during war, killing of non-human animals, near death experiences and the pursuit of immortality also comes under the spyglass.

I think that the benefits the listener by making listeners sensitive about death and the various world cultures' beliefs. Though it is presented from a American perspective (the USA's death rituals gets precedence), the vastness of Prof. Berkson's knowledge surrounding the subject is truly astonishing. I was really impressed with the way he approached his subject matter, showing the same respect for the listener as one would expect to be shown to the dead. There is however one thing I think needs to be added when the course is revised - the African funeral. Living in South Africa, as a minister, I have buried people from different cultural backgrounds. I have been amazed at how the beliefs surrounding death and the dying differs within the Christian Faith within this country. One of these beliefs has to do with when to bury a person. In the Northern part of the country, you will bury at 6:00, while a Zulu from KwaZulu-Natal may not be buried before 12:00. Even the content of what should go in the grave differs. Many of these rituals are syncretised with Christian beliefs and practises. For the course to be perfect, I would have liked some of these issues to have been included. That said, I am not sure where one would stop when compiling a course such as this if everyone's whims have to be included.

This course can be followed without the course guide. However, the neat guide not only refreshes the mind. I think it can stimulate further discussion.

I recommend this course to anyone interested in a sincere empathetic in-your-face approach to dealing with one of the most important realities in life, death. While I suspect that Prof. Berkson himself leans to a Buddhist approach to death, he is fair to all religions and does not try to push his own understanding of death on his listeners. He gives you the room to decide how you would like to approach it. It comes highly recommended! The only type of death that you might not encounter in this course, is Terry Pratchett's character, Death...

43 of 43 people found this review helpful

Dispassionate discussion, well researched

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Death is generally not discussed dispassionately when humans interact. These lectures provide one the opportunity to look at death objectively and from almost as many points of view as there are belief systems. I would absolutely recommend it to one of my more open-minded friends.

What about Professor Mark Berkson’s performance did you like?

Professor Mark Berkson speaks clearly. His voice has a good timbre and is pleasant to listen to. He pauses after his sentences so there is time to absorb what he has said without the listener having to backtrack.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Death and how we see it is such an integral part of life. While one knows this, it particularly stands out in the lecture on Tibetan Buddhists who see our lives as a series of "in-betweens", or bardos and say that life, too, is a bardo, existing between birth and death. At the other end of the spectrum is the lecture on suicide (not euthanasia or assisted suicide), a form of death that raises such bewilderment among those left behind. Prof Berkson raises the moral issue: Do we have the right to end our own life? Should we intervene to prevent someone from killing themselves? As with the other lectures, he dips into philosophy, mythology and modern psychology to present a myriad of views.

Any additional comments?

Having listened through to the end, I immediately started the course again. There is so much to absorb because it is packed with interesting information which has been well researched and carefully edited so that there is not one tedious moment.

37 of 37 people found this review helpful

Profound

Few people talk about death even though we all know it's inevitable. This course dives into the void by explaining practices, beliefs and ethics related to death and the afterlife. A necessary read.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Reviewing this before I'm even finished!

Any additional comments?

This is FANTASTIC in every way! The narrator is like a teacher, and reads the text gently and soothingly. The book itself is packed with thought-provoking ideas and really makes you see death from a neutral perspective as well as from a specific one. I can't say how much I enjoy this. I already know it will be a book I listen to again and again.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

phenomenal class!

I really enjoyed this class. it is comprehensive, not intimidating, and uplifting. I've used it to help prepare myself to earn a certificate in thanatology.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fascinating ideas and explanation

The idea is always conceptual and what is phenomenal about the lectures is the exploration of religions, cultures and concepts. Amazing opportunity for reflection.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Thoughtful and thought provoking.

these lectures are well thought out and provide balanced representations of all viewpoints. While the lecturer does offer his own opinion, he does not force it upon you, and leaves much of the material up for interpretation.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Sublime

If you listen carefully to this course and ponder on its many truths and insights, you will gain some spiritual insight and maybe even revelations...

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

WOW

This was probably one of the best sets of lectures I've ever listened to. The professor is very knowledgeable about all the topics, I plan on listening to not from him, outstanding job

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Will Make You Thijnk

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The author really knows his subject well. The book covers just about any question you have ever had about death and dying from myriad points of view and many you might not have considered.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There were no characters in this book and the subject is death which is definitely not my favorite.

Which character – as performed by Professor Mark Berkson – was your favorite?

Not applicable.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Everything you never knew you wanted to know about death and dying

Any additional comments?

Well worth your time.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful