Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
Personalised accounts of out-of-body (OBE) and near-death (NDE) experiences are frequently interpreted as offering evidence for immortality and an afterlife. Since most OBE/NDE follow severe ...
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Personalised accounts of out-of-body (OBE) and near-death (NDE) experiences are frequently interpreted as offering evidence for immortality and an afterlife. Since most OBE/NDE follow severe curtailments of cerebral circulation with loss of consciousness, the agonal brain supposedly permits ‘mind’, ‘soul’, or ‘consciousness’ to escape neural control and provide glimpses of the afterlife. This study looks at the work of five key writers who support this so-called ‘dying brain’ hypothesis. The author disagrees with such otherworldly mystical or psychical interpretations, ably demonstrating how they are explicable in terms of brain neurophysiology and its neuropathological disturbances. The trust of this claim sees the recorded phenomenology as reflections of brains rapidly reawakening to full conscious-awareness, consistent with other reported phenomenologies attending recovery from antecedent states of unconsciousness: the ‘re-awakening brain’ hypothesis. From this basis, a re-classification of NDE into early and late phase sequences is given, thereby dismantling the untenable concepts of ‘core’ and ‘depth’ experiences. The book provides a detailed examination of the spiritual and quasi-religious overtones accorded OBE/NDE, highlighting their inconsistencies when compared with classical accounts of divine disclosure, and the eschatological precepts of resurrection belief as professed credally. In assessing the implications of anthropological, philosophical, and theological concepts of ‘personhood’ and ‘soul’ as arguments for personal survival after death, the author celebrates the role of conventional faith in appropriating the expectant biblical promises of a ‘New Creation’.Less
Personalised accounts of out-of-body (OBE) and near-death (NDE) experiences are frequently interpreted as offering evidence for immortality and an afterlife. Since most OBE/NDE follow severe curtailments of cerebral circulation with loss of consciousness, the agonal brain supposedly permits ‘mind’, ‘soul’, or ‘consciousness’ to escape neural control and provide glimpses of the afterlife. This study looks at the work of five key writers who support this so-called ‘dying brain’ hypothesis. The author disagrees with such otherworldly mystical or psychical interpretations, ably demonstrating how they are explicable in terms of brain neurophysiology and its neuropathological disturbances. The trust of this claim sees the recorded phenomenology as reflections of brains rapidly reawakening to full conscious-awareness, consistent with other reported phenomenologies attending recovery from antecedent states of unconsciousness: the ‘re-awakening brain’ hypothesis. From this basis, a re-classification of NDE into early and late phase sequences is given, thereby dismantling the untenable concepts of ‘core’ and ‘depth’ experiences. The book provides a detailed examination of the spiritual and quasi-religious overtones accorded OBE/NDE, highlighting their inconsistencies when compared with classical accounts of divine disclosure, and the eschatological precepts of resurrection belief as professed credally. In assessing the implications of anthropological, philosophical, and theological concepts of ‘personhood’ and ‘soul’ as arguments for personal survival after death, the author celebrates the role of conventional faith in appropriating the expectant biblical promises of a ‘New Creation’.
Cathy Guiterrez
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195388350
- eISBN:
- 9780199866472
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388350.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book examines the legacy of European esoteric speculation, particularly Platonic ideals, as they are transformed on a new continent. Promoting knowledge rather than salvation as the path to ...
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This book examines the legacy of European esoteric speculation, particularly Platonic ideals, as they are transformed on a new continent. Promoting knowledge rather than salvation as the path to spiritual improvement, Neoplatonism met with a democratizing impulse in America, one that eschewed the binary destinies of heaven or hell and offered instead an afterlife for all peoples, races, and religions. Spiritualism represents the ultimate marriage of universal salvation and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge, as a new generation of Americans embraced a completely inclusive heaven. While scientific and frequently political progressivists, Spiritualists looked to the past for answers about the present, undercutting a march of time and betraying conflicting cultural ideals. While technological and medical innovations were hallmarks of a great future, Platonic and Renaissance articulations of the cosmos persisted and increased: humanity did not inhabit a degraded material world, but rather the universe was shot through with the divine. This work examines implicit and explicit expressions of time and progress as they intersect with Spiritualist cultural concerns—memory, technology, love, medicine, and finally nascent psychology. In each the author finds echoes of Plato, pulling time backward even as it marched toward a brighter future.Less
This book examines the legacy of European esoteric speculation, particularly Platonic ideals, as they are transformed on a new continent. Promoting knowledge rather than salvation as the path to spiritual improvement, Neoplatonism met with a democratizing impulse in America, one that eschewed the binary destinies of heaven or hell and offered instead an afterlife for all peoples, races, and religions. Spiritualism represents the ultimate marriage of universal salvation and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge, as a new generation of Americans embraced a completely inclusive heaven. While scientific and frequently political progressivists, Spiritualists looked to the past for answers about the present, undercutting a march of time and betraying conflicting cultural ideals. While technological and medical innovations were hallmarks of a great future, Platonic and Renaissance articulations of the cosmos persisted and increased: humanity did not inhabit a degraded material world, but rather the universe was shot through with the divine. This work examines implicit and explicit expressions of time and progress as they intersect with Spiritualist cultural concerns—memory, technology, love, medicine, and finally nascent psychology. In each the author finds echoes of Plato, pulling time backward even as it marched toward a brighter future.
Richard McCarty
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199567720
- eISBN:
- 9780191721465
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199567720.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, History of Philosophy
Being evil by nature we ought nevertheless to become good; and so we can. Kant's philosophy is supposed to give us grounds for hope in an “afterlife”, when we can be good, or at least better, and ...
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Being evil by nature we ought nevertheless to become good; and so we can. Kant's philosophy is supposed to give us grounds for hope in an “afterlife”, when we can be good, or at least better, and when happiness will be proportioned to virtue as the highest good. Yet it remains unclear how to understand the temporal relation of this present, sensible life and the afterlife. Some of Kant's reflections suggest that heaven and hell may belong to the intelligible world we already occupy. Because the world would have been created for a moral purpose, and because the highest good is a just reward, we have rational grounds for hope in an afterlife.Less
Being evil by nature we ought nevertheless to become good; and so we can. Kant's philosophy is supposed to give us grounds for hope in an “afterlife”, when we can be good, or at least better, and when happiness will be proportioned to virtue as the highest good. Yet it remains unclear how to understand the temporal relation of this present, sensible life and the afterlife. Some of Kant's reflections suggest that heaven and hell may belong to the intelligible world we already occupy. Because the world would have been created for a moral purpose, and because the highest good is a just reward, we have rational grounds for hope in an afterlife.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198236986
- eISBN:
- 9780191598593
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198236980.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Part 1 (Chs. 2–7) argues that mental events (consisting in the instantiation of mental properties – sensations, thoughts, purposes, desires, and beliefs) are distinct from physical events (such as ...
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Part 1 (Chs. 2–7) argues that mental events (consisting in the instantiation of mental properties – sensations, thoughts, purposes, desires, and beliefs) are distinct from physical events (such as brain events), although in causal interaction with them. Part 2 argues that these mental events consist in the instantiations of properties in immaterial substances, souls. A human being (and any higher animal) consists of two parts, the essential part – his soul, and a contingent part – his body. It is extremely unlikely that there could be a scientific explanation of the creation of souls. Humans are distinguished from the higher animals by an ability to reason logically, and by having moral awareness, free will, and an integrated system of beliefs and desires. Neither direct empirical evidence nor pure a priori philosophical argument can show what will happen to the soul after death. This could only be shown by some very general metaphysical system.Less
Part 1 (Chs. 2–7) argues that mental events (consisting in the instantiation of mental properties – sensations, thoughts, purposes, desires, and beliefs) are distinct from physical events (such as brain events), although in causal interaction with them. Part 2 argues that these mental events consist in the instantiations of properties in immaterial substances, souls. A human being (and any higher animal) consists of two parts, the essential part – his soul, and a contingent part – his body. It is extremely unlikely that there could be a scientific explanation of the creation of souls. Humans are distinguished from the higher animals by an ability to reason logically, and by having moral awareness, free will, and an integrated system of beliefs and desires. Neither direct empirical evidence nor pure a priori philosophical argument can show what will happen to the soul after death. This could only be shown by some very general metaphysical system.
Candida R. Moss
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199739875
- eISBN:
- 9780199777259
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199739875.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the martyrs’ rapid ascent to heaven following death and the roles that the martyrs play in the afterlife in heaven. In opposition to the ordinary dead, martyrs quickly ascend — ...
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This chapter examines the martyrs’ rapid ascent to heaven following death and the roles that the martyrs play in the afterlife in heaven. In opposition to the ordinary dead, martyrs quickly ascend — by various routes — to heaven and participate in a number of activities similar to those of the exalted Christ. It argues that, rather than assuming that martyrs serve in a similar capacity as angels in heaven, it is possible to view the martyrs’ participation in a heavenly banquet, judgment scenes, and role as heavenly intercessor as analogous to the roles of Christ. This suggests that the question of the martyrs’ identity is more complicated than is usually assumed.Less
This chapter examines the martyrs’ rapid ascent to heaven following death and the roles that the martyrs play in the afterlife in heaven. In opposition to the ordinary dead, martyrs quickly ascend — by various routes — to heaven and participate in a number of activities similar to those of the exalted Christ. It argues that, rather than assuming that martyrs serve in a similar capacity as angels in heaven, it is possible to view the martyrs’ participation in a heavenly banquet, judgment scenes, and role as heavenly intercessor as analogous to the roles of Christ. This suggests that the question of the martyrs’ identity is more complicated than is usually assumed.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter considers the claims by extra-corporeal experience (ECE) subjects to experience an other-worldly domain and thereafter to report on it. It evaluates the validity of this recall of ...
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This chapter considers the claims by extra-corporeal experience (ECE) subjects to experience an other-worldly domain and thereafter to report on it. It evaluates the validity of this recall of another world from the perspective of Christian eschatology, with its variety of notions about the soul and resurrection, and from the biblical viewpoint of the anthropological nature of the person.Less
This chapter considers the claims by extra-corporeal experience (ECE) subjects to experience an other-worldly domain and thereafter to report on it. It evaluates the validity of this recall of another world from the perspective of Christian eschatology, with its variety of notions about the soul and resurrection, and from the biblical viewpoint of the anthropological nature of the person.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
Since extra-corporeal experiences (ECEs) are widely alleged to offer new insights into phenomena exemplary of the afterlife, there is an imperative to examine these experiential claims. This chapter ...
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Since extra-corporeal experiences (ECEs) are widely alleged to offer new insights into phenomena exemplary of the afterlife, there is an imperative to examine these experiential claims. This chapter examines whether ECEs can justifiably fulfil criteria of divine disclosure, and thus be construed as truly spiritual events. This is an important issue, raising the problem how God communicates with earthbound subjects and, importantly, how the brain is involved.Less
Since extra-corporeal experiences (ECEs) are widely alleged to offer new insights into phenomena exemplary of the afterlife, there is an imperative to examine these experiential claims. This chapter examines whether ECEs can justifiably fulfil criteria of divine disclosure, and thus be construed as truly spiritual events. This is an important issue, raising the problem how God communicates with earthbound subjects and, importantly, how the brain is involved.
Witham Larry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195394757
- eISBN:
- 9780199777372
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195394757.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Religion is a form of risk management in human lives and in religious groups. Pascal’s Wager famously illustrates the calculation of loss and benefit in religious belief. But there are other economic ...
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Religion is a form of risk management in human lives and in religious groups. Pascal’s Wager famously illustrates the calculation of loss and benefit in religious belief. But there are other economic models for how religion deals with uncertainty, and this chapter looks at three. First is insurance against risk, with its byproduct of “moral hazard. Second is the need to verify the reliability of religious “goods,” which economists call “credence goods.” Religions, like businesses, seek to assure consumers of reliability. Finally, consumers search for reliable information, which in religion means explanations about the gods, the afterlife, and ultimate religious consequences, such as hell. Typically, monotheistic faiths are deemed “high risk” religions because of their belief in ultimate consequences. But all religions have this feature to some extent, speaking to the human incentive to avoid risk.Less
Religion is a form of risk management in human lives and in religious groups. Pascal’s Wager famously illustrates the calculation of loss and benefit in religious belief. But there are other economic models for how religion deals with uncertainty, and this chapter looks at three. First is insurance against risk, with its byproduct of “moral hazard. Second is the need to verify the reliability of religious “goods,” which economists call “credence goods.” Religions, like businesses, seek to assure consumers of reliability. Finally, consumers search for reliable information, which in religion means explanations about the gods, the afterlife, and ultimate religious consequences, such as hell. Typically, monotheistic faiths are deemed “high risk” religions because of their belief in ultimate consequences. But all religions have this feature to some extent, speaking to the human incentive to avoid risk.
Michael N. Marsh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199571505
- eISBN:
- 9780191722059
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571505.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society, Theology
This chapter focuses on greater in-depth criticism of extra-corporeal experience (ECE) phenomenology related to its interpretation and meaning and, more generally, to its cultural relativity — ...
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This chapter focuses on greater in-depth criticism of extra-corporeal experience (ECE) phenomenology related to its interpretation and meaning and, more generally, to its cultural relativity — historically and geographically. Subjects undergoing a near-death experience believe themselves to have been rewarded with glimpses of the afterlife and indisputable convictions that an other-worldly domain does exist. Such convictions are private, unassailable and independent of previously held religious belief.Less
This chapter focuses on greater in-depth criticism of extra-corporeal experience (ECE) phenomenology related to its interpretation and meaning and, more generally, to its cultural relativity — historically and geographically. Subjects undergoing a near-death experience believe themselves to have been rewarded with glimpses of the afterlife and indisputable convictions that an other-worldly domain does exist. Such convictions are private, unassailable and independent of previously held religious belief.
L. Stafford Betty
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335224
- eISBN:
- 9780199868810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335224.003.0022
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
A good course on death does more than explore the way we die and grieve. It does more than show us how to prepare a living will or to decide whether physician-assisted suicide is ethical. It does ...
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A good course on death does more than explore the way we die and grieve. It does more than show us how to prepare a living will or to decide whether physician-assisted suicide is ethical. It does more than survey the various religious views on death and afterlife or the philosophical arguments for or against survival of bodily death. A complete course will address the question of meaning. What is the meaning of death? The meaning of death hinges on the question of afterlife—as does the meaning of life. Do we survive death? If so, what do we survive into? There is no evidence more helpful in deciding how to answer these questions than that coming out of psychical research. This chapter looks at the most important of these evidences: near-death experiences, deathbed visions, studies of children who remember previous lives, and mediumistic accounts of the world beyond.Less
A good course on death does more than explore the way we die and grieve. It does more than show us how to prepare a living will or to decide whether physician-assisted suicide is ethical. It does more than survey the various religious views on death and afterlife or the philosophical arguments for or against survival of bodily death. A complete course will address the question of meaning. What is the meaning of death? The meaning of death hinges on the question of afterlife—as does the meaning of life. Do we survive death? If so, what do we survive into? There is no evidence more helpful in deciding how to answer these questions than that coming out of psychical research. This chapter looks at the most important of these evidences: near-death experiences, deathbed visions, studies of children who remember previous lives, and mediumistic accounts of the world beyond.
James Carter
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195398854
- eISBN:
- 9780199894413
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398854.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The first quarter of Tanxu’s life was dominated by war, death, and dislocation. Figuring prominently in this chapter is Tanxu’s (then called Wang Futing) death and encounter in the underworld with ...
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The first quarter of Tanxu’s life was dominated by war, death, and dislocation. Figuring prominently in this chapter is Tanxu’s (then called Wang Futing) death and encounter in the underworld with the King of Hell. Illustrating cultural perceptions about the afterlife and social roles, Tanxu negotiates that he be allowed to live again, in part because he is his parents’ only surviving child. Returning to life, Tanxu began a career as a merchant and clerk, which was disrupted by the Sino-Japanese War (1894–5), the Boxer Uprising (1899–1900), and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5). Observing China’s relative weakness in these conflicts, Tanxu began to construct his sense of Chinese nationalism, which included drawing on foreign technology and ideas, but focused on building a strong moral foundation for China.Less
The first quarter of Tanxu’s life was dominated by war, death, and dislocation. Figuring prominently in this chapter is Tanxu’s (then called Wang Futing) death and encounter in the underworld with the King of Hell. Illustrating cultural perceptions about the afterlife and social roles, Tanxu negotiates that he be allowed to live again, in part because he is his parents’ only surviving child. Returning to life, Tanxu began a career as a merchant and clerk, which was disrupted by the Sino-Japanese War (1894–5), the Boxer Uprising (1899–1900), and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5). Observing China’s relative weakness in these conflicts, Tanxu began to construct his sense of Chinese nationalism, which included drawing on foreign technology and ideas, but focused on building a strong moral foundation for China.
Isabel Moreira
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199736041
- eISBN:
- 9780199894628
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199736041.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter examines the role of purgatory in Anglo-Saxon writings (especially those of Boniface) and in missionary eschatology. It discusses how pagan and Christian beliefs about the afterlife were ...
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This chapter examines the role of purgatory in Anglo-Saxon writings (especially those of Boniface) and in missionary eschatology. It discusses how pagan and Christian beliefs about the afterlife were represented by contemporaries, and how they have been represented by scholars and archaeologists. It examines the role played by the limitations of the Christian afterlife during the Frisian mission and in King Radbod’s failed conversion. This chapter also considers the relative appeal of ideas about purgatory, universal salvation, and posthumous salvation in a missionary environment.Less
This chapter examines the role of purgatory in Anglo-Saxon writings (especially those of Boniface) and in missionary eschatology. It discusses how pagan and Christian beliefs about the afterlife were represented by contemporaries, and how they have been represented by scholars and archaeologists. It examines the role played by the limitations of the Christian afterlife during the Frisian mission and in King Radbod’s failed conversion. This chapter also considers the relative appeal of ideas about purgatory, universal salvation, and posthumous salvation in a missionary environment.
Jon McGinnis
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195331479
- eISBN:
- 9780199868032
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331479.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter returns to Avicenna’s theory of the intellect, but now with a focus on the practical intellect and its role in the formation of our moral temperaments. Since Avicenna believes that the ...
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This chapter returns to Avicenna’s theory of the intellect, but now with a focus on the practical intellect and its role in the formation of our moral temperaments. Since Avicenna believes that the proper formation of these temperaments and the life of the human species require communal association, there is a discussion of Avicenna’s political theory, which at its core has the Avicennan counterpart to the Platonic “Philosopher-King,” namely, Avicenna’s “Prophet-Lawgiver.” Once completing this background, Avicenna’s conception of the return or afterlife is taken up, along with a discussion of Avicenna’s vision of the pleasures and pains that one might expect to experience there depending upon the life one has lived here. The chapter concludes with Avicenna’s views about providence and his general account of why evil exists in a world created by a wholly good God.Less
This chapter returns to Avicenna’s theory of the intellect, but now with a focus on the practical intellect and its role in the formation of our moral temperaments. Since Avicenna believes that the proper formation of these temperaments and the life of the human species require communal association, there is a discussion of Avicenna’s political theory, which at its core has the Avicennan counterpart to the Platonic “Philosopher-King,” namely, Avicenna’s “Prophet-Lawgiver.” Once completing this background, Avicenna’s conception of the return or afterlife is taken up, along with a discussion of Avicenna’s vision of the pleasures and pains that one might expect to experience there depending upon the life one has lived here. The chapter concludes with Avicenna’s views about providence and his general account of why evil exists in a world created by a wholly good God.
Peter Marshall
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198207733
- eISBN:
- 9780191716812
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207733.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
One of the most important aspects of the Reformation in England was its impact on the status of the dead. Protestant reformers insisted vehemently that between heaven and hell there was no ‘middle ...
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One of the most important aspects of the Reformation in England was its impact on the status of the dead. Protestant reformers insisted vehemently that between heaven and hell there was no ‘middle place’ of purgatory where the souls of the departed could be assisted by the prayers of the living. This was no remote theological proposition, but a revolutionary doctrine affecting the lives of all 16th-century English people, and the ways in which their Church and society were organised. This book illuminates the (sometimes ambivalent) attitudes towards the dead in pre-Reformation religious culture, and traces (up to about 1630) the uncertain progress of the ‘reformation of the dead’ attempted by Protestant authorities as they sought to stamp out traditional rituals and provide the replacements acceptable in an increasingly fragmented religious world. It provides surveys of perceptions of the afterlife, of the cultural meanings of ghosts, and of the patterns of commemoration and memory which became characteristic of post-Reformation England. Together these topics constitute an important case-study in the nature and tempo of the English Reformation as an agent of social and cultural transformation.Less
One of the most important aspects of the Reformation in England was its impact on the status of the dead. Protestant reformers insisted vehemently that between heaven and hell there was no ‘middle place’ of purgatory where the souls of the departed could be assisted by the prayers of the living. This was no remote theological proposition, but a revolutionary doctrine affecting the lives of all 16th-century English people, and the ways in which their Church and society were organised. This book illuminates the (sometimes ambivalent) attitudes towards the dead in pre-Reformation religious culture, and traces (up to about 1630) the uncertain progress of the ‘reformation of the dead’ attempted by Protestant authorities as they sought to stamp out traditional rituals and provide the replacements acceptable in an increasingly fragmented religious world. It provides surveys of perceptions of the afterlife, of the cultural meanings of ghosts, and of the patterns of commemoration and memory which became characteristic of post-Reformation England. Together these topics constitute an important case-study in the nature and tempo of the English Reformation as an agent of social and cultural transformation.
Ingo Gildenhard
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199291557
- eISBN:
- 9780191594885
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199291557.003.0013
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The chapter begins by setting out the terms of traditional aristocratic immortality in Rome, which consisted in the acquisition of praise (laus) and glory (gloria) during life and the survival in the ...
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The chapter begins by setting out the terms of traditional aristocratic immortality in Rome, which consisted in the acquisition of praise (laus) and glory (gloria) during life and the survival in the memory of the family and the larger civic community after death; in contrast to philosophical belief in the immortality of the soul and the hubristic desire for deification, it was thus grounded in practices of commemoration. The chapter shows how Cicero nevertheless flirted with the radical possibility of continued existence after death through deification or the immortality of the soul, conceiving of the hereafter as a realm of reward and/ or punishment. The discussion thus illustrates how he strategically endorsed the popular, but also Platonic idea of the afterlife as a site of reckoning where mechanisms of distributive and retributive justice balance open accounts.Less
The chapter begins by setting out the terms of traditional aristocratic immortality in Rome, which consisted in the acquisition of praise (laus) and glory (gloria) during life and the survival in the memory of the family and the larger civic community after death; in contrast to philosophical belief in the immortality of the soul and the hubristic desire for deification, it was thus grounded in practices of commemoration. The chapter shows how Cicero nevertheless flirted with the radical possibility of continued existence after death through deification or the immortality of the soul, conceiving of the hereafter as a realm of reward and/ or punishment. The discussion thus illustrates how he strategically endorsed the popular, but also Platonic idea of the afterlife as a site of reckoning where mechanisms of distributive and retributive justice balance open accounts.
Curley Edwin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199576739
- eISBN:
- 9780191595165
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576739.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter argues that the moral character of God, as portrayed in the Scriptures he is supposed to have inspired, is a reasonable test of the claim that those Scriptures convey a divine ...
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This chapter argues that the moral character of God, as portrayed in the Scriptures he is supposed to have inspired, is a reasonable test of the claim that those Scriptures convey a divine revelation. The Christian Scriptures (the ‘Old’ Testament and the New) fail the test. They frequently represent God as authorizing bad conduct. He commands child sacrifice and genocide. He permits slavery and rape. This is only a partial list of passages which make it incredible that the morally perfect being of Christian theology could have inspired the Bible. Also problematic: the Bible contradicts itself about how God will treat his creatures after death, sometimes denying an afterlife, sometimes affirming it; when it affirms an afterlife, it threatens those who do not believe with eternal punishment. Better to give up the hypothesis of divine inspiration than to corrupt our moral thinking by trying to defend the indefensible.Less
This chapter argues that the moral character of God, as portrayed in the Scriptures he is supposed to have inspired, is a reasonable test of the claim that those Scriptures convey a divine revelation. The Christian Scriptures (the ‘Old’ Testament and the New) fail the test. They frequently represent God as authorizing bad conduct. He commands child sacrifice and genocide. He permits slavery and rape. This is only a partial list of passages which make it incredible that the morally perfect being of Christian theology could have inspired the Bible. Also problematic: the Bible contradicts itself about how God will treat his creatures after death, sometimes denying an afterlife, sometimes affirming it; when it affirms an afterlife, it threatens those who do not believe with eternal punishment. Better to give up the hypothesis of divine inspiration than to corrupt our moral thinking by trying to defend the indefensible.
Michael J. Murray
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199237272
- eISBN:
- 9780191717291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199237272.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter explores a variety of explanations which aim to show that animal pain and suffering is a necessary condition for various outweighing goods which accrue to the suffering animals ...
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This chapter explores a variety of explanations which aim to show that animal pain and suffering is a necessary condition for various outweighing goods which accrue to the suffering animals themselves. More specifically, it treats the two main variants of this position that have been defended. First, some have argued that animal suffering allows animals to secure goods that for various reasons make their lives more valuable for them here and now. Some, for example, argue that the reality of animal pain and suffering allows animals to exhibit a variety of virtue that is itself intrinsically valuable, while others argue that animal pain is necessary to allow animals to avoid physical threats to their organismic integrity. The chapter argues that the former ideas are too anthropomorphic although the latter are defensible. Second, others have argued that animal suffering allows animals to enjoy a correspondingly more valuable post-mortem existence either as compensation for suffering during their earthly life, or by way of a process analogous to soul-making. It is argued that the former are incomplete since they do not account for the evil for which animals are being compensated. The second can succeed if animals indeed enjoy post-mortem existence and are capable of such development.Less
This chapter explores a variety of explanations which aim to show that animal pain and suffering is a necessary condition for various outweighing goods which accrue to the suffering animals themselves. More specifically, it treats the two main variants of this position that have been defended. First, some have argued that animal suffering allows animals to secure goods that for various reasons make their lives more valuable for them here and now. Some, for example, argue that the reality of animal pain and suffering allows animals to exhibit a variety of virtue that is itself intrinsically valuable, while others argue that animal pain is necessary to allow animals to avoid physical threats to their organismic integrity. The chapter argues that the former ideas are too anthropomorphic although the latter are defensible. Second, others have argued that animal suffering allows animals to enjoy a correspondingly more valuable post-mortem existence either as compensation for suffering during their earthly life, or by way of a process analogous to soul-making. It is argued that the former are incomplete since they do not account for the evil for which animals are being compensated. The second can succeed if animals indeed enjoy post-mortem existence and are capable of such development.
Byron L. Sherwin
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195336238
- eISBN:
- 9780199868520
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336238.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
For Judaism, ours is an unredeemed, pre-messianic world. This chapter focuses upon how hope, faith, and sacred deeds offer human beings an opportunity and a challenge to help move the world toward ...
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For Judaism, ours is an unredeemed, pre-messianic world. This chapter focuses upon how hope, faith, and sacred deeds offer human beings an opportunity and a challenge to help move the world toward messianic redemption. Various views of the human role in the messianic process, including the kabbalistic notion of tikkun — “repair,” are examined, as are various forms of redemption such as individual, collective, and cosmic redemption. Further ideas of Jewish eschatology, such as the afterlife, are also presented.Less
For Judaism, ours is an unredeemed, pre-messianic world. This chapter focuses upon how hope, faith, and sacred deeds offer human beings an opportunity and a challenge to help move the world toward messianic redemption. Various views of the human role in the messianic process, including the kabbalistic notion of tikkun — “repair,” are examined, as are various forms of redemption such as individual, collective, and cosmic redemption. Further ideas of Jewish eschatology, such as the afterlife, are also presented.
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856688720
- eISBN:
- 9781800343023
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856688720.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In books I-V of De Civitate Dei, St. Augustine rejects the claim that worship of the pagan gods had brought success in this life, and in books VI-X, the prospect of a happy afterlife. In books ...
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In books I-V of De Civitate Dei, St. Augustine rejects the claim that worship of the pagan gods had brought success in this life, and in books VI-X, the prospect of a happy afterlife. In books XI-XII, Augustine turns from attack to defence, for at this point he initiates his apology for the Christian faith. Books XI and XII document the initial phase of the rise of the two cities, the city of God and the city of this world, beginning with the creation of the world and the human race. In Book XI, Augustine rejects the theories of Aristotle, Plato and the Epicureans on the creation of the universe and addresses the creation of angels, Satan, the role of the holy Trinity and the importance of numerology in the Genesis account. In Book XII, Augustine is chiefly concerned with refuting standard objections to the Christian tradition, returning to discussion of the Creation, including his calculation, based on the scriptures, that the world was created less than 6,000 years ago. This book is the only edition in English that provides not only a text but also a detailed commentary on one of the most influential documents in the history of western Christianity. The book presents Latin text, with facing-page English translation, introduction, notes and commentary.Less
In books I-V of De Civitate Dei, St. Augustine rejects the claim that worship of the pagan gods had brought success in this life, and in books VI-X, the prospect of a happy afterlife. In books XI-XII, Augustine turns from attack to defence, for at this point he initiates his apology for the Christian faith. Books XI and XII document the initial phase of the rise of the two cities, the city of God and the city of this world, beginning with the creation of the world and the human race. In Book XI, Augustine rejects the theories of Aristotle, Plato and the Epicureans on the creation of the universe and addresses the creation of angels, Satan, the role of the holy Trinity and the importance of numerology in the Genesis account. In Book XII, Augustine is chiefly concerned with refuting standard objections to the Christian tradition, returning to discussion of the Creation, including his calculation, based on the scriptures, that the world was created less than 6,000 years ago. This book is the only edition in English that provides not only a text but also a detailed commentary on one of the most influential documents in the history of western Christianity. The book presents Latin text, with facing-page English translation, introduction, notes and commentary.
William C. Chittick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195139136
- eISBN:
- 9780199834075
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195139135.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
Bâbâ Afdal drew inspiration both from Greek writings in Arabic and from the writings of various Muslim thinkers. This chapter provides excerpts from his Persian translations of the ...
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Bâbâ Afdal drew inspiration both from Greek writings in Arabic and from the writings of various Muslim thinkers. This chapter provides excerpts from his Persian translations of the pseudo‐Aristotelian Liber de Pomo, Aristotles’ De anima, and the Hermetic Fountain of Life. Also included is a full translation of his abridgement of Ghazâlî's introduction to Kîmiyâ‐yi sa`âdat (The Alchemy of Felicity), which provides a straightforward introduction to basic philosophico‐religious concepts such as soul, spirit, heart, body, God, this world, and the next world.Less
Bâbâ Afdal drew inspiration both from Greek writings in Arabic and from the writings of various Muslim thinkers. This chapter provides excerpts from his Persian translations of the pseudo‐Aristotelian Liber de Pomo, Aristotles’ De anima, and the Hermetic Fountain of Life. Also included is a full translation of his abridgement of Ghazâlî's introduction to Kîmiyâ‐yi sa`âdat (The Alchemy of Felicity), which provides a straightforward introduction to basic philosophico‐religious concepts such as soul, spirit, heart, body, God, this world, and the next world.
