The Meanings of Death by John Bowker
While recognising the limitations of a book about death, where words are sometimes used which cannot bear the weight, John Bowker here puts forward, with integrity and honesty, a compelling case for the creative significance of death, and shows how value and dignity can be maintained at the limits of life without an illusory search for compensation. The author's view is that the religious exploration of death has nothing to do (as has often been maintained) with the projection of compensating paradises to those who cannot face the reality of oblivion; it has everything to do, however, with the affirmation of value, right up to the boundary of death. By examining the themes of sacrifice and friendship, in both eastern and western contexts, Bowker argues that in both these themes there are points of vital contact with secular understandings of death, and that religious and secular interpretations can reinforce and support one another in the human response to death. A recovery of the value of death, the author maintains, is important for all of us, not least in how we come to react to bereavement and in the treatment of the terminally ill in hospital and hospice work.
'Bowker shows, in a way which is impressive and moving, that death is integral to life, and that the acceptance of one's own death can be seen as a positive acceptance of the larger life of the universe' John Hick
Bowker, John: - An internationally renowned author, editor and series editor in the fields of comparative religion and world religion, John Bowker is currently Gresham Professor at Gresham College, London, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and North Carolina State University. He is a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a former Professor of Religion at Lancaster University. Professor Bowker's recent books include What Muslims Believe (1995), The Oxford Dictionary of World Religion (1997) and The Complete Bible Handbook (1998). His previous books for Cambridge are Targums and Rabbinic Literature (1969), Jesus and the Pharisees (1973), The Problems of Suffering in the Religions of the World (1970; paperback 1975) and The Meanings of Death (1991; Canto paperback 1993).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521391177 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521391172 |
| Title | The Meanings of Death |
| Author | John Bowker |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 1991-06-28 |
| Number of pages | 255 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |