Tales of Lights and Shadows offers a fresh approach to the traditional mythology and literature of the afterlife, centering on tensions and polarities in the afterlife concepts: bright vs. dismal, heaven vs. reincarnation, theocentric vs. anthropocentric heaven, etc. Presenting examples from virtually all the world's religious cultures past and present, this fascinating book puts the concepts clearly in the context of the worldview and social issues of that society.
Robert Ellwood depicts the many rich mythologies of the afterlife from the ancient Mesopotamians, Japanese, Greeks of the Homeric era, to Christian views of heaven or the Buddhist western paradise. He explores views of the concept of reincarnation as well as the arduous preparation for the afterlife that must be taken in some traditions. Ellwood concludes by looking at the way varying views of the afterlife influence religious and even secular culture, and how in turn culture can influence the popular heavens and hells of the time and place.
- 173 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
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Table of contents
- Contents
- 1 In That Good Night, What Dreams May Come? Myth, Meaning, and Afterlife
- 2 Hungry and Happy Fields of the Dead: Gloomy vs. Bright Views of the Afterlife
- 3 The Several Homelands of the Heart: Abodes of the Soul
- 4 Circling Paths, Endless Journey: Reincarnation vs. Eternal Life in Heaven or Hell
- 5 God or Garden of Delights? Is Heaven Theocentric or Anthropocentric?
- 6 Ghostly Fear and Love: The Dread of Ancestral Spirits vs. Respect and Honor
- 7 On the Long March: Community and Religious Solidarity vs. Individual Reward and Punishment
- 8 Amazing Grace: The Dif.cult vs. the Easy Path
- 9 The End of Days: Linear and Cyclical Time
- 10 Common and Uncommon Faith: The Afterlife in Folk Religion and the Great Tradition
- 11 Retrospect: Afterlife and Culture
- Further Reading
- Notes
- Index
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Yes, you can access Tales of Lights and Shadows by Robert Ellwood in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Religion. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.