Springer - Death and Dying: Comparative Philosophy of Religion

The medicalization of death presents a significant challenge for religious and cultural traditions worldwide. When death is reduced to a clinical diagnosis or a problem to be solved, its deeper meaning as a human mystery is often lost. This book addresses these contemporary dilemmas by exploring how various traditions respond to the changing landscape of mortality. Through a series of creative and contextual responses, this work examines the resources religious and cultural frameworks provide in the face of modern medical practices. It serves as a deep exploration of how meaning is constructed and maintained when death becomes a medical event rather than a spiritual transition. This collection features 14 essays from scholars representing a wide range of religious and philosophical perspectives. These contributions originated from a lecture and dialogue series at Drake University, providing a diverse academic foundation for studying the intersection of philosophy, religion, and the reality of dying.