Afterlife

A History of Life after Death Philip C Almond IB Taurus 2016 Pb, 236pp, notes, bib, ind, £25.00, ISBN 9781784534967

Not so much another study of tales of NearDeath Experiences (NDEs) as a comprehensive account of the nature of the Afterlife as imagined within different cultures through history. Nor is this a slight or New Age-y treatment, but a solid, detailed, survey by an emeritus professor of religion at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, and it comes with a full aca- demic apparatus.

The book moves from the earliest surviving records on the topic, through the Classic ages of Elysian Fields, Tartarus and the River Styx, and into the very complex era influenced by the main monotheistic religions. Professor Almond writes compassionately about the very human concerns of people from all walks of life (eg. those about to be eaten by cannibals, or those who have lost limbs and wonder if they will be whole in the Hereafter), and the many citations and references do not disturb his concise story-telling. The chapters divide the subject into seven topics: the destiny of the dead; the geography of the Underworld; the nature of souls; Purgatory and Limbo; sleep and death; salvation and damnation; and the rich variety of heavens and hells.

Although the main focus is on the Mosaic religions, there are comparisons with Buddhism, Hinduism and others in passing. Almond sums up his rational approach thus: “I expect death is one event that I shall not live to regret, even though I live in hope that I might be pleasantly, and not unpleasantly, surprised.”

Recommended to all.