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Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures
Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures is an uplifting, meaningful, and multidisciplinary exploration of life’s only certainty. While we’re predisposed to look on death with fear and sadness, it’s only by confronting and exploring death head-on that we can actually embrace the important role it plays in our lives. Death, it turns out, is a powerful teacher, one that can help us think responsibly and deeply about the meaning and value of life, connect with the beliefs and traditions of cultures and faiths different from our own, and gain the wisdom and guidance to live a richer, more fulfilling life while we have it.
As religion scholar and award-winning Professor Mark Berkson of Hamline University says, “Reflecting on death and dying is an essential part of the examined life.” Take a wide-ranging look at this undeniably confounding and fascinating subject. Bringing together theology, philosophy, biology, anthropology, literature, psychology, sociology, and other fields, these 24 lectures 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. Prepare for a remarkable learning experience that brings you face-to-face with the most important topic mortals like us can consider.
As religion scholar and award-winning Professor Mark Berkson of Hamline University says, “Reflecting on death and dying is an essential part of the examined life.” Take a wide-ranging look at this undeniably confounding and fascinating subject. Bringing together theology, philosophy, biology, anthropology, literature, psychology, sociology, and other fields, these 24 lectures 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. Prepare for a remarkable learning experience that brings you face-to-face with the most important topic mortals like us can consider.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 1, 2016
22 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Mark Berkson
3 books13 followersDr. Mark Berkson is Professor of Religion at Hamline University. He earned a B.A. from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, an M.A. from Stanford University in East Asian Studies, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Religious Studies and Humanities. He has twice received Faculty Member of the Year awards and has received multiple fellowships for his work in Asian religions.
A world traveler, he has lived in China and visited religious and pilgrimage sites in countries such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Greece. Professor Berkson has given well over 100 presentations at conferences, universities, community meetings, and churches, and he has also appeared on radio and television news shows in segments dealing with religious issues.
His scholarly work has addressed topics such as comparative religious thought, religious ethics, death and dying, and interfaith dialogue and has appeared in books and in such prestigious journals as the Journal of Religious Ethics, Teaching Theology & Religion, and Buddhist-Christian Studies.
A world traveler, he has lived in China and visited religious and pilgrimage sites in countries such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Greece. Professor Berkson has given well over 100 presentations at conferences, universities, community meetings, and churches, and he has also appeared on radio and television news shows in segments dealing with religious issues.
His scholarly work has addressed topics such as comparative religious thought, religious ethics, death and dying, and interfaith dialogue and has appeared in books and in such prestigious journals as the Journal of Religious Ethics, Teaching Theology & Religion, and Buddhist-Christian Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 9, 2017
I rewrote this totally because I read a really appalling review of a book yesterday. So this review is a Rant. God is not great, the devil is far more powerful and that's why god has to have people kill all his enemies as he can't do it himself.
The chapter on Islam makes it plain why it is perfectly all right for ISIS to throw gays off buildings, burn people alive in cages and chop off their heads. God will not judge them on their acts but only on their intentions. And their intentions are to rid the world of enemies of Allah.
In a review of another book and it says that Mohammed says there will be no resurrection until the world is rid of Jews. Vermin. Very Nazi. Explains a lot though but makes me feel unbelievably sad that people could believe myths and legends (I'm an existentialist and don't see why I should have to call 'religion' true when the religious seem to think I am some misguided potentially evil being) instead of seeing we are all just humans.
It is the time and location we live in that makes some people believe in certain things. If we lived in Greek times we'd be into Zeus, if we were Aztecs back before Spain conquered them, we'd be sacrificing endless people to have their blood run down the altars. Humanity looks for a religion to control people, especially women and those who are not from the religion are often seen as enemies.
Sorry religious people but if you believe in a god that requires you to annihilate millions of people that you say he created, what is the point? What is the point of believing in a creator if you think your given role is as destroyer? What is the point in believing in a god that is all-powerful if he can't control people and needs you to punish and kill them? What you saying is that people are more powerful than god or that there is a second god even more powerful, the devil, and god needs you to defeat him and kill off his enemies because he doesn't have the power.
If there is a creator who could create a universe so vast that there are more stars in the sky than were ever grains of sand on the earth, why would he be interested in such parochial things as being worshipped and exactly how if someone gets the words right, eats this but not that, wears this but not that they will be rewarded with a bike for Christmas, sons but not daughters, no more toothache or whatever...
As a Confucian philosopher said, tradition and the practice of religion might add beauty and meaning to your life so long as you realise that religion is man-made, to take it further and import divine meaning into it is dangerous. I am so impressed with this thought that it has changed completely how I am reading this book and even looking at my religious friends and staff.
One of the most popular inscriptions on Roman tombstones:
I was not
I was
I am not
I don't care.
That's amusing on the surface but not when you think about it, that last line is ... death. Death isn't something we experience, only dying is.
The chapter on Islam makes it plain why it is perfectly all right for ISIS to throw gays off buildings, burn people alive in cages and chop off their heads. God will not judge them on their acts but only on their intentions. And their intentions are to rid the world of enemies of Allah.
In a review of another book and it says that Mohammed says there will be no resurrection until the world is rid of Jews. Vermin. Very Nazi. Explains a lot though but makes me feel unbelievably sad that people could believe myths and legends (I'm an existentialist and don't see why I should have to call 'religion' true when the religious seem to think I am some misguided potentially evil being) instead of seeing we are all just humans.
It is the time and location we live in that makes some people believe in certain things. If we lived in Greek times we'd be into Zeus, if we were Aztecs back before Spain conquered them, we'd be sacrificing endless people to have their blood run down the altars. Humanity looks for a religion to control people, especially women and those who are not from the religion are often seen as enemies.
Sorry religious people but if you believe in a god that requires you to annihilate millions of people that you say he created, what is the point? What is the point of believing in a creator if you think your given role is as destroyer? What is the point in believing in a god that is all-powerful if he can't control people and needs you to punish and kill them? What you saying is that people are more powerful than god or that there is a second god even more powerful, the devil, and god needs you to defeat him and kill off his enemies because he doesn't have the power.
If there is a creator who could create a universe so vast that there are more stars in the sky than were ever grains of sand on the earth, why would he be interested in such parochial things as being worshipped and exactly how if someone gets the words right, eats this but not that, wears this but not that they will be rewarded with a bike for Christmas, sons but not daughters, no more toothache or whatever...
As a Confucian philosopher said, tradition and the practice of religion might add beauty and meaning to your life so long as you realise that religion is man-made, to take it further and import divine meaning into it is dangerous. I am so impressed with this thought that it has changed completely how I am reading this book and even looking at my religious friends and staff.
One of the most popular inscriptions on Roman tombstones:
I was not
I was
I am not
I don't care.
That's amusing on the surface but not when you think about it, that last line is ... death. Death isn't something we experience, only dying is.
July 6, 2016
"Death, Dying, and The Afterlife: Lessons from World Culture" is a series of 24 (at approximately 30 minute each) lectures by Mark Berkson released in "The Great Courses" series by The Teaching Company. Mark Berkson is a Professor of Religion at Hamline University.
Death is, as far as we know, a universal human experience. It puts an upper limit to our lives and affects how we look at our existence, how we look at the universe, and the choices we make. Humans have developed a diverse set of rituals and views on how we deal with death, both ours and that of others. And it colors how we view many topics from vegetarianism through punishment of criminals.
As the author notes, he deals with 5 "big" questions:
- How do human beings think and feel about death?
- How do human beings experience death?
- How do the world’s religious traditions understand and approach death (and the afterlife)?
- When is it justified to take life?
- How important is death to our understanding of what it means to be human?
I found the course excellent. The course was well thought out, the material carefully considered and constrained, and the lectures excellently delivered. I found his lectures on controversial topics thoughtful and helpful, even in cases where I might disagree. For me, the time and focus I put into this course was well rewarded.
Death is, as far as we know, a universal human experience. It puts an upper limit to our lives and affects how we look at our existence, how we look at the universe, and the choices we make. Humans have developed a diverse set of rituals and views on how we deal with death, both ours and that of others. And it colors how we view many topics from vegetarianism through punishment of criminals.
As the author notes, he deals with 5 "big" questions:
- How do human beings think and feel about death?
- How do human beings experience death?
- How do the world’s religious traditions understand and approach death (and the afterlife)?
- When is it justified to take life?
- How important is death to our understanding of what it means to be human?
I found the course excellent. The course was well thought out, the material carefully considered and constrained, and the lectures excellently delivered. I found his lectures on controversial topics thoughtful and helpful, even in cases where I might disagree. For me, the time and focus I put into this course was well rewarded.
June 25, 2019
An excellent overview that is basically an anthropology of all things pertaining to death and dying. The lecturer covers most major religions and philosophies, touches on the history of the American funeral industry, changes in how remains are handled, and some related topics such a suicide, euthanasia, death in war, immortality, and near death experiences.
Professor Berkson sets a good pace and keeps the material interesting. He does have a tendency to speak in a very dramatic way sometimes, emphasizing the word "dead" as if it needs to have organ music after it or emphasizing other words as if they need to be spat out, but he tones that down after a few lectures.
I probably would have given this five stars except for two things: I felt Berkson covered non-Christian religious beliefs and rituals with an even hand and in a non-judgemental manner for the most part, but when he got to Christianity, he lost that objectivity and went into full rah-rah mode. I'd rather he maintained some objectivity and treated it the same as he did the other topics. Also, I could have done without the sermonizing for most of the lecture on suicide. I understand he may have felt a moral obligation to make the lecture more about prevention and intervention, but the point of the series -- at least as he introduced it -- was to look at the beliefs and traditions different cultures have around these subjects, and I felt he rushed through the bare minimum of that to spend the bulk of that lecture talking about warning signs and preventative actions. Important information, sure, but not really what the lecture was supposed to be about.
Professor Berkson sets a good pace and keeps the material interesting. He does have a tendency to speak in a very dramatic way sometimes, emphasizing the word "dead" as if it needs to have organ music after it or emphasizing other words as if they need to be spat out, but he tones that down after a few lectures.
I probably would have given this five stars except for two things: I felt Berkson covered non-Christian religious beliefs and rituals with an even hand and in a non-judgemental manner for the most part, but when he got to Christianity, he lost that objectivity and went into full rah-rah mode. I'd rather he maintained some objectivity and treated it the same as he did the other topics. Also, I could have done without the sermonizing for most of the lecture on suicide. I understand he may have felt a moral obligation to make the lecture more about prevention and intervention, but the point of the series -- at least as he introduced it -- was to look at the beliefs and traditions different cultures have around these subjects, and I felt he rushed through the bare minimum of that to spend the bulk of that lecture talking about warning signs and preventative actions. Important information, sure, but not really what the lecture was supposed to be about.
August 24, 2021
This course covers many topics about death and dying: from fear of death, death rituals, to ethical questions about death and dying. The lectures were thought-provoking. I really liked the part about world traditions of death and dying.
January 1, 2021
In short - whole anthropology of death class in one place. Mark Berkson tries to be as least bias as possible and gives contrary viewpoints on specific topics. Despite, sometimes he shows his own personal opinion and insights, but does not present it as better or “truer” than the rest. The course is rich of examples of movies, books, and references to other scholars. More deeply works of Ernest Becker and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross were explained, but I found lack of thicker descriptions of topics, mentioned in the first part of the book (before world religions). When the listener is introduced to main ideas of the topic, the narrative suddenly ends too soon and author switches the topic to another subject, before the broader debate. Regardless of that, last chapters were very good, so I decided to give it 4/5 stars.
After all, I would recommend this audiobook to everyone interested in death topic. It lets you reexamine your own thoughts about death and to see its influence in everyday's life. I would like to re-listen it someday again.
October 25, 2023
This covered a variety of topics about death without going into a great deal of depth on any of the topics. For example, Berkson gave an entire lecture each to the Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist, and Confucian concept of death and death rituals (6 lectures total). I see why that's important but the course is already a summary of the concept and experience of death in human society. Throwing in summaries of all the world's religions - mostly information of which I was already aware- didn't leave a lot of time for everything else about death. I also felt like the lecture on vegetarianism- again, something I've read about at length in other more thorough sources- was really not to the point.
August 19, 2020
The Great Courses almost always offer fantastic audio-books filled with great content and this one is no different. Dr. Mark Berkson is a wonderful narrator and is passionate about his subject -- death.
He covers death extensively, speaking on how the different religions of the world view dying and how they honor the deceased. You learn how funerals across the world differ depending on the culture. Berkson also teaches the scientific viewpoint on dying and speaks about near-death experiences.
Very informative and a bit depressing but overall educational. It gave me things to think about while on my commute that's for sure.
He covers death extensively, speaking on how the different religions of the world view dying and how they honor the deceased. You learn how funerals across the world differ depending on the culture. Berkson also teaches the scientific viewpoint on dying and speaks about near-death experiences.
Very informative and a bit depressing but overall educational. It gave me things to think about while on my commute that's for sure.
August 12, 2017
4.5 stars.
A very interesting course; part philosophy, part religious studies, part biology and physiology, part cultural studies ... this course draws from many fields of study, in short. I got a bit bored during the lectures recounting how death is treated in various religious traditions, not because it wasn't interesting, but because there are 8 or so of these consecutively, and they are structured in a very similar way.
Still, Berkson is an excellent lecturer, and he does a good job giving an overview of how death is handled in various societies as well as talking about some more controversial subjects like euthanasia, death in war, and killing animals for human use.
A very interesting course; part philosophy, part religious studies, part biology and physiology, part cultural studies ... this course draws from many fields of study, in short. I got a bit bored during the lectures recounting how death is treated in various religious traditions, not because it wasn't interesting, but because there are 8 or so of these consecutively, and they are structured in a very similar way.
Still, Berkson is an excellent lecturer, and he does a good job giving an overview of how death is handled in various societies as well as talking about some more controversial subjects like euthanasia, death in war, and killing animals for human use.
January 13, 2019
This is an excellent course which looks at death from many perspectives and weaves in the work of many philosophers, writers and psychologists. I found the teacher extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. Definitely a course I would recommend to anyone who thinks they might die some day!
October 30, 2019
whistle stop tour around the beliefs and understanding of death. very enjoyable and can be useful to many
May 30, 2019
One of the best and most comprehensive series of lectures I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. Mark Berkson is a very good lecturer, able to clearly explain different ideas and earnestly lay out any kind of topic, ranging from religion and philosophy to historical retellings and personal anecdotes.
The 24 chapters cover wide range of concepts related to death and the meaning of existence from various world cultures. Throughout the whole run I've never felt bored or disinterested. It's been truly a pleasure and delight to listen to the author talk about the concepts he spent his life studying and teaching.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in learning about various cultural, religious and philosophical point of view on death!
The 24 chapters cover wide range of concepts related to death and the meaning of existence from various world cultures. Throughout the whole run I've never felt bored or disinterested. It's been truly a pleasure and delight to listen to the author talk about the concepts he spent his life studying and teaching.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in learning about various cultural, religious and philosophical point of view on death!
September 5, 2024
دوره ی حدودا ۱۲ ساعته که از ۲۴ فایل صوتی تشکیل شده، هر فایل در مورد یک موضوع مرتبط با مرگ صحبت می کنه.
موضوعاتی مثل؛ تفکرات پیرامون مرگ در ادیان و مذاهب مختلف مثل یهودیت، مسیحیت، اسلام، بوداییسم و تفکرات کنفو��یوس آورده شده. در هر فایل مربوط به ادیان؛ معنای مرگ و زندگی، دیدگاه به جهان اخروی و نحوه ی برخورد با مرگ بیان میشه.
در ادامه موضوعاتی مثل؛ خودکشی، مرگ داوطلبانه/درخواست مرگ (Euthanasia)، جنگ، حکم قصاص، کشتار حیوانات، تجربیات نزدیک به مرگ، نامیرایی یا جاودانگی و در آخر ارزش مرگ بررسی شده.
پ.ن: اگر در مورد مرگ مطالعات زیادی ندارید قطعا دوره ی جامعی خواهد بود و بسیار تاثیرگذار.
موضوعاتی مثل؛ تفکرات پیرامون مرگ در ادیان و مذاهب مختلف مثل یهودیت، مسیحیت، اسلام، بوداییسم و تفکرات کنفو��یوس آورده شده. در هر فایل مربوط به ادیان؛ معنای مرگ و زندگی، دیدگاه به جهان اخروی و نحوه ی برخورد با مرگ بیان میشه.
در ادامه موضوعاتی مثل؛ خودکشی، مرگ داوطلبانه/درخواست مرگ (Euthanasia)، جنگ، حکم قصاص، کشتار حیوانات، تجربیات نزدیک به مرگ، نامیرایی یا جاودانگی و در آخر ارزش مرگ بررسی شده.
پ.ن: اگر در مورد مرگ مطالعات زیادی ندارید قطعا دوره ی جامعی خواهد بود و بسیار تاثیرگذار.
November 23, 2022
This brilliant series of lectures made a complicated and occasionally controversial topic both approachable and enjoyable. Well-structured and clear, it was detailed and thorough without being overwhelming or obtuse and so interesting that I found myself looking forward to each new lecture.
December 30, 2018
The first few lectures were reasonable until he came to Judaism. (FYI, I am Jewish so I know that religion best.) He treated Judaism differently from the other religions by starting off with a conflict. It probably wouldn't make a difference except that when he spoke of Christianity it was uniformly enthusiastic and without conflict. I noticed the difference. He also made a number of errors (I counted three) regarding how Jews handle death. All of them were minor, but it irritated me since he declared these erroneous ideas with such confidence. That made me doubt what he was saying about other religions of which I have only a passing understanding.
The second half of the lectures got into controversial issues such as capital punishment, suicide, murder, war, near-death experiences and doctor-assisted suicide. I disagreed with his position on a lot of it. He quoted an expert that I detest on moral grounds (Singer), and some of it just sounded goofy. Also the section on suicide vs doctor-assisted suicide was not consistent.
It seemed more politically correct than anything else. He wanted to keep people from committing suicide due to depression, but seemed to support those who wanted a doctor to do it for them if they had a medical condition that might kill them... or even if it wouldn't kill them but was painful.
He was so vague, I couldn't tell if he would allow death for persistent tinnitus, that is, hearing an annoying high-pitched sound in one's ears. FYI, I suffer from tinnitus, and I am not poking fun at people's suffering. Each person suffers in his own way, but there seems to be no line drawn nor any principle by which one could draw a line from what he said.
Luckily, I got this course from the library rather than spending good money on it. On the other hand I suspect there are any number of people who would absolutely love what he says. He certainly said it pleasantly enough.
I was going to abandon the last three lectures but I felt compelled to complete them.
The second half of the lectures got into controversial issues such as capital punishment, suicide, murder, war, near-death experiences and doctor-assisted suicide. I disagreed with his position on a lot of it. He quoted an expert that I detest on moral grounds (Singer), and some of it just sounded goofy. Also the section on suicide vs doctor-assisted suicide was not consistent.
It seemed more politically correct than anything else. He wanted to keep people from committing suicide due to depression, but seemed to support those who wanted a doctor to do it for them if they had a medical condition that might kill them... or even if it wouldn't kill them but was painful.
He was so vague, I couldn't tell if he would allow death for persistent tinnitus, that is, hearing an annoying high-pitched sound in one's ears. FYI, I suffer from tinnitus, and I am not poking fun at people's suffering. Each person suffers in his own way, but there seems to be no line drawn nor any principle by which one could draw a line from what he said.
Luckily, I got this course from the library rather than spending good money on it. On the other hand I suspect there are any number of people who would absolutely love what he says. He certainly said it pleasantly enough.
I was going to abandon the last three lectures but I felt compelled to complete them.
January 2, 2021
These 24 lectures, offered by author and Professor Mark Berkson, take a look at death and dying through the prism of different cultures, religions, and ages. Professor Berkson highlights the opinions of Buddha, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, popular movies, Aristotle, and many others. The idea is to give a well-rounded view of how man has changed in his view of death and dying -- and why it matters. Berkson's thesis is that we live best when we live while planning a 'good death.'
The lessons Professor Berkson shares with his listeners/readers encompass anthropology, biology, literature, philosophy, psychology, sociology, theology, and other fields, trying to show how man has struggled in his understanding of death and the afterlife.
According to this authority, most modern Chinese believe a person has at least two souls. They also have no conflict with having Christian, Buddhist, and pagan/folk beliefs at the same time, that meld into each other seamlessly (Lesson 16).
Next, the Professor explored other types of death, namely suicide, euthanasia, and killing during war. Then he went into two subjects that I thought were extraneous to the subject: capital punishment and killing animals (for food, or whatever). Berkson really rode his hobby horse on these two subjects.
Then Berkson returned to things I thought had to "Death, Dying, and the Afterlife," namely near-death experiences and the pursuit of immortality. These lectures were enlightening.
I've listened to more than a dozen lengthy Great Courses programs. In none of those did I find the professor go off on a tangent as this man did. I was really disappointed. Overall score: G+
The lessons Professor Berkson shares with his listeners/readers encompass anthropology, biology, literature, philosophy, psychology, sociology, theology, and other fields, trying to show how man has struggled in his understanding of death and the afterlife.
According to this authority, most modern Chinese believe a person has at least two souls. They also have no conflict with having Christian, Buddhist, and pagan/folk beliefs at the same time, that meld into each other seamlessly (Lesson 16).
Next, the Professor explored other types of death, namely suicide, euthanasia, and killing during war. Then he went into two subjects that I thought were extraneous to the subject: capital punishment and killing animals (for food, or whatever). Berkson really rode his hobby horse on these two subjects.
Then Berkson returned to things I thought had to "Death, Dying, and the Afterlife," namely near-death experiences and the pursuit of immortality. These lectures were enlightening.
I've listened to more than a dozen lengthy Great Courses programs. In none of those did I find the professor go off on a tangent as this man did. I was really disappointed. Overall score: G+
March 15, 2021
Professor Mark Berkson’s Great Courses audiobook “Death, Dying & Afterlife”” was released by The Teaching Company” in 2016. This 24 lecture course explores human death from the prospective of illusion, rationality, rituals, and grief. The course also explores human afterlife based on Christianity, Syncretism, Muslim, Hinduism, and Buddhism-Daoist belief paradigms. The course concludes with an examination of near death experiences based on after-death events of those who recovered after losing brain and breathing functions. “Lecturer Mark Berkson is Professor and Chair in the Department of Religion at Hamline University. He teaches courses in Asian religions (including the Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hindu traditions), Islam, and comparative religion.” The lectures are thoughtful. (P)
Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost spiritual body after death body and soul alike are saved
“Hoping With More” Thompson
Professor Peter Kreeft’s Modern Scholars audio lectures “Faith and Reason: the Philosophy of Religion” was released in 2005. His 14 lectures explore the many views about life after death, presence of God, religious and scientific thought, and the underlayment of comparative religious beliefs. The lectures require listeners to weigh carefully the many conflicting views of religious thought within the context of philosophical paradigms explored by great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, or Kierkegaard, to mention a few. The concluding lecture 14 was exceptional. (P)
Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost spiritual body after death body and soul alike are saved
“Hoping With More” Thompson
Professor Peter Kreeft’s Modern Scholars audio lectures “Faith and Reason: the Philosophy of Religion” was released in 2005. His 14 lectures explore the many views about life after death, presence of God, religious and scientific thought, and the underlayment of comparative religious beliefs. The lectures require listeners to weigh carefully the many conflicting views of religious thought within the context of philosophical paradigms explored by great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, or Kierkegaard, to mention a few. The concluding lecture 14 was exceptional. (P)
May 6, 2020
This course was pretty interesting! I can’t review it on a factual level though, only as a listener as I don’t know much about theology or philosophy. It covers a variety of topics including the definition of death, how it’s handled in different religions (Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Islam), suicide, vegetarianism, Euthanasia, as well as other subjects. I personally preferred the topics that focused on a major issue as a whole as opposed to the death rituals of each religion, as they tended to be more philosophical in nature. There was also a touch of science mixed in, but only relating to longevity. It was a good course overall! One thing I noticed though, which has been pointed out in other reviews, is the bias of the professor. It wasn’t overpowering, but definitely noticeable in certain lectures. He spoke without bias in the sections on most religions, but was pretty enthusiastic during the Christianity lecture, for example. It didn’t really bother me personally, but it may have influenced the view he took towards certain subjects. 3.5/5 May 6 2020
January 20, 2023
Solid Great Course. - 3.5, with a round up to a 4 star rating.
The title says it all. This hits close to home, especially the brain death versus the heart death - aka, is being 'alive' on a hospital bed with feeding tubes where your brain dead... is this really living. My Dad passed away in 2021 and it still is tough to deal with at times.
Content wise, the remains disposal around the world was pretty interesting for sure. The natural progression from that was to religion hop, and discuss all the different rituals/religious activities involved with death. The course pretty much writes itself, but the speak did do well - not putting him down.
I loved all the Star Wars references too within this, with some Dark Side comments, as well as attachments = suffering.
The suicide section hits really hard too. Wonderful debate for the dinner table with your wife - she'll love it.
Quote of the book:
"The meaning of life - is life."
Definitely recommend.
The title says it all. This hits close to home, especially the brain death versus the heart death - aka, is being 'alive' on a hospital bed with feeding tubes where your brain dead... is this really living. My Dad passed away in 2021 and it still is tough to deal with at times.
Content wise, the remains disposal around the world was pretty interesting for sure. The natural progression from that was to religion hop, and discuss all the different rituals/religious activities involved with death. The course pretty much writes itself, but the speak did do well - not putting him down.
I loved all the Star Wars references too within this, with some Dark Side comments, as well as attachments = suffering.
The suicide section hits really hard too. Wonderful debate for the dinner table with your wife - she'll love it.
Quote of the book:
"The meaning of life - is life."
Definitely recommend.
June 5, 2019
I think this was an amazing course and I absolutely loved it. Interesting, compelling subject matter that was certainly engaging and looked at from all angles. My one complaint is that some of the lectures, particularly the ones on capital punishment and vegetarianism, felt a bit preachy. Personally, I actually agree 100% with his opinions and conclusions, but it did feel a bit heavy handed. Maybe he could argue that there is little to no scientific evidence for the opposing views, but he didn't even really try to present alternative viewpoints. Maybe his (and my) opinions are scientific consensus, but a total lack of dissenting viewpoints made it feel uneven, like the lecturer just wanted to get his view across instead of having a fair and open discussion. But otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed and would totally recommend this course.
December 6, 2019
This Great Course is, indeed, a great course! The 24 lectures are very comprehensive and explore these often challenging subjects from the perspectives of multiple disciplines: philosophy, theology, anthropology, psychology, evolutionary biology, literature, and more. Professor Mark Benson treats the material with humanity and dignity. He does interject his personal opinion a few times but not in a way that skews the information, in my opinion. I took a death and dying class in college; this audiobook refreshed me and expanded on what I already learned. 12 and a half hours seems like a lot, but it is divided into 30-minute lectures that are thought-provoking enough to keep you listening. This is one of the few subjects relevant to literally everyone, and this course presents it in a way that is accessible, informative, and even occasionally entertaining.
April 18, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
Even though there were several things I did not agree with I still found this very interesting.
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
Even though there were several things I did not agree with I still found this very interesting.
February 2, 2023
This is a thorough look at death and dying, the beliefs surrounding them, and an examination of the universality of the experience. It covers religious and cultural beliefs from around the world without advocating any of them, and the discussion about various ideas about the afterlife or lack thereof is interesting.
I am a huge believer in being far more open about death and dying than we presently are in the United States, and books like these help with that. I'm glad to see that there are people and cultures that agree with me about how the removed way we handle our dead in the country now is not doing anyone any favors.
I am a huge believer in being far more open about death and dying than we presently are in the United States, and books like these help with that. I'm glad to see that there are people and cultures that agree with me about how the removed way we handle our dead in the country now is not doing anyone any favors.
September 22, 2020
Not as interesting as the book "Stiff," but still interesting. It goes through the world's major religions' views on death and the afterlife, burial rites of different cultures, and major controversial issues surrounding death (such as euthanasia and the death penalty). While "Stiff" tells you the biological process involved in dying, burial, cremation, decaying, and becoming a medical cadaver, this makes you think about the spiritual process of dying. Honestly, it was more uplifting than depressing.
November 28, 2022
Overall, excellent! Berkson does a superb job applying metaphysics, theology, science, law, and ethics to the examination death from multiple traditions and perspectives.
The only serious omission is the lack of a lecture on abortion. This is certainly an issue more important to many, on both sides, than euthanasia or vegetarianism (both of which are the topics of engaging lectures). Whatever one's position on abortion, I am sure Berkson would have been a valuable contributor to the conversation.
The only serious omission is the lack of a lecture on abortion. This is certainly an issue more important to many, on both sides, than euthanasia or vegetarianism (both of which are the topics of engaging lectures). Whatever one's position on abortion, I am sure Berkson would have been a valuable contributor to the conversation.
July 26, 2017
Really, really interesting and thought provoking. The author has some pretty strong biases that he fully admits to having. They didn't bother me as I like to consider various perspectives (and despite his biases he did try to present information to consider from all sides of a controversial issue) but you need to be prepared for it. Overall, though, it was another great course from the Great Courses!
September 5, 2023
Death is inevitable even though many do not bring it up in normal conversation. Jumping into the void, the narrator is like a teacher, and reads the text gently and soothingly; explaining beliefs, practices and ethics related to death and thereafter.
The book is packed with thought-provoking ideas and really makes you see death from a neutral perspective as well as from a specific one. This is insightful and somewhat comforting. It will be a book I listen to again and again.
The book is packed with thought-provoking ideas and really makes you see death from a neutral perspective as well as from a specific one. This is insightful and somewhat comforting. It will be a book I listen to again and again.
November 18, 2018
This was good when it came to facts, figures, and mythology, but a lot of bias (and even some woo woo) leaked through when it came to anything speculative or opinionated. Definitely not a waste of time, totally worth it, but I wish it had been a little lighter on opinion and a little heavier on the science in the instances that called for it.
June 17, 2021
I didn't enjoy this. I felt like the concepts were scattered with little connections between them (e.g hopping from ancient Greek views on death to later cover ethical treatment of animals, and then capital punishment). I stopped listening ~ 50% mark. I enjoyed the financial Great Courses offerings more.
April 25, 2024
Berkson's lectures were fascinating, and I learned so much about thoughts on death and dying in different cultures. The bit on reincarnation and the 1960s cynic who tried to disprove stories of reincarnation but failed in a few notable instances really made me reconsider my thoughts on how life works on earth.
May 17, 2019
I enjoyed the material but think it might have been better split in to two separate books - one on death rituals and another on death philosophy. Both could have used a deeper exploration. Ending with a discussion on the perils of immortality was surprisingly helpful.
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