Death, Ritual and Belief, Second Edition: The Rhetoric of Funerary Rites

Death, Ritual and Belief, Second Edition: The Rhetoric of Funerary Rites

by Douglas J. Davies (Author)

Synopsis

Describing a great variety of funeral ritual from major world religions and from local traditions, this book shows how cultures not only cope with corpses but also create an added value for living through the encouragement of afterlife beliefs. The explosion of interest in death in recent years reflects the key theme of this book - the rhetoric of death - the way cultures use the most potent weapon of words to bring new power to life. This new edition is one third longer than the original with new material on the death of Jesus, the most theorized death ever which offers a useful case study for students. There is also empirical material from contemporary/recent events such as the death of Diana and an expanded section on theories of grief which will make the book more attractive to death counsellors.

$50.81

Quantity

10 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Edition: 2nd Ed
Publisher: Continuum
Published: 01 Jun 2002

ISBN 10: 0826454844
ISBN 13: 9780826454843

Media Reviews
Professor Douglas Davies' perceptive and thought-provoking book... provides a rich framework in which to consider the perennial questions of the human response to death. From this book, the fruit of wide-ranging research and reading, it is clear that Professor Davies has established himself as one of the leading writers in an increasingly important field.
Geoffrey Rowell, The Tablet
Author Bio
Douglas Davies is Professor in the Study of Religion in the University of Durham, UK. His numerous books on death and other aspects of Religious Studies reflect his combined skills both as an Anthropologist of Religion and Theologian.