죽음, 임종, 그리고 내세
Professor Mark Berkson, Ph.D.
Religious traditions should be approached not merely as objects of analysis, but also as challenges to be experienced subjectively. A deep encounter with another religion engenders intellectual and spiritual exploration and growth.
Institution Hamline University
Dr. Mark Berkson is Professor of Religion at Hamline University. He earned a B.A. from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, an M.A. from Stanford University in East Asian Studies, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Religious Studies and Humanities. He has twice received Faculty Member of the Year awards and has received multiple fellowships for his work in Asian religions.
A world traveler, he has lived in China and visited religious and pilgrimage sites in countries such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Greece. Professor Berkson has given well over 100 presentations at conferences, universities, community meetings, and churches, and he has also appeared on radio and television news shows in segments dealing with religious issues. His scholarly work has addressed topics such as comparative religious thought, religious ethics, death and dying, and interfaith dialogue and has appeared in books and in such prestigious journals as the Journal of Religious Ethics, Teaching Theology & Religion, and Buddhist-Christian Studies.
Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures
Season 1
Bringing together theology, philosophy, biology, anthropology, literature, psychology, and sociology, this is a brilliant compendium of how human beings have struggled to come to terms with death. You'll encounter everything from ancient burial practices and traditional views of the afterlife to near-death experiences and 21st-century theories about transcending death.
2020
24 episodes
======
S1 E1 - Death’s Place in Our Lives
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Start your exploration of this profound topic with a helpful overview of how we, as human beings, think about death. What place does it occupy in our lives? How have our attitudes about it changed over time? What symbols and euphemisms do we use to talk about it?
S1 E2 - Defining Death
June 1, 2020
29min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
To truly understand the subject of death, you have to be able to define it. Here, discover how the definition of death exists on multiple levels and how each of these levels - the religious, biological, philosophical, cultural, legal, and political - determines when a living being becomes a dead one.
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S1 E3 - Death, Illusion, and Meaning
June 1, 2020
30min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Explore how it's possible for us to find meaning in life - even when confronted with the finality of it. Drawing on the work of cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, discover how forms of death denial serve to allay fears about our insignificance, and how we can cultivate meaning in the face of mortality.
S1 E4 - Is It Rational to Fear Death?
June 1, 2020
29min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Should death be considered "bad"? Should we even bother fearing it?
As you reflect on philosophical arguments by the ancient Epicurus (who thought death wasn't bad for the dead) and the modern Thomas Nagel (who believes we should fear death), you'll consider the possibility that both sides are right.
S1 E5 - Understanding and Coping with Grief
June 1, 2020
30min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
In this look at what Professor Berkson calls "an inescapable part of the human condition," unpack the feelings and behaviors of the grieving process. Topics include the evolutionary benefits of grief, the five stages of grief laid out by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, and the three categories of grieving identified by psychologist George Bonanno.
S1 E6 - Death Rituals and the Corpse
June 1, 2020
30min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Since the dawn of humanity, corpses have held lasting significance for us. Probe the various ways human civilizations have "disposed" of corpses - from burial (the oldest method for which evidence still exists) and mummification to cremation and natural exposure (known as "excarnation").
S1 E7 - American Death Rituals
June 1, 2020
30min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
In America, death rituals display a remarkable diversity and range from the minimalist to the extravagant. Chart the evolution of American funerals by looking at three major periods: the traditional (exemplified by Puritan burial rites), the modern (characterized by professionalization), and the post-modern (where loved ones play a more active role).
S1 E8 - Approaches to Dying Well
June 1, 2020
31min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
None of us can avoid dying. But some believe we can learn how to die well. Professor Berkson introduces you to ways that others have faced death (with regret, dignity, even rage) and also considers some of the practical ways we can make the best of our deaths when our time comes.
S1 E9 - Judaism on Death and the Afterlife
June 1, 2020
31min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
In the first of explorations of how major world faiths approach death, the focus is on Judaism. From the importance of mourning and burial rites to the recent resurgence in American Jewish belief in an afterlife, go inside the evolving views on death and the afterlife in Jewish history.
S1 E10 - Death and Hope in Christianity
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
For Christians, death does not have the final say; in fact, the living have the hope of victory over death. Investigate Christian views of death, including the possibility of physical bodies in the afterlife; the concepts of hell, purgatory, and limbo; and the similarities and differences between Catholic and Protestant practices.
S1 E11 - Islam on Returning to God
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Many Muslims consider life on earth as a test to determine one's eternal fate, making existence just one part of an infinitely greater story. Consider how the primary forms of Islam - Sunni, Shia, and Sufi - approach the concept of paradise and hell, the four main practices of treating a corpse, and more.
S1 E12 - Death, Rebirth, and Liberation in Hinduism
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
In Hinduism, death is part of a grander cycle of rebirth and suffering - with the ultimate goal of liberation (moksha). Here, ponder the concept of the Atman (one's immutable soul); meet the Hindu gods who personify death and, relatedly, time; and learn what rituals can prevent a spirit from becoming stuck between worlds.
S1 E13 - Buddhism on Impermanence and Mindfulness
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Professor Berkson notes that the Buddhist tradition was established, in part, as a response to the realities of sickness and death. The Buddha's response to the experience of dying, as you'll learn, involves seeing past the illusion of self, recognizing the concept of impermanence, and practicing mindfulness.
S1 E14 - The Process of Dying in Tibetan Buddhism
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Continue a look a Buddhist approaches to death, this time focusing on Tibetan Buddhism's deep, extensive teachings on the actual process of death and rebirth. Central to this: the fascinating Bardo Thodol (or the Tibetan Book of the Dead), whose lessons are applicable both to Buddhists and non-Buddhists.
S1 E15 - Confucian Remembrance, Daoist Forgetting
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Unlike other faiths, Confucianism and Daoism focus almost entirely on life in this world, not the next. So how do followers find meaning and consolation in the face of their deaths? The answers can be found in the distinct approaches of the great Chinese thinkers Confucius and Zhuangzi.
S1 E16 - Death and Syncretism in China
June 1, 2020
31min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
First, look at Chinese traditions involving spirits of the dead and other supernatural beings. Then, visit some of the many possibilities for a soul's destination in Chinese traditions (including a Pure Land, an underworld, and rebirth). Finally, discover how conflicting views of the afterlife accurately capture our ambivalent feelings about death.
S1 E17 - Suicide Examined
June 1, 2020
33min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
In the last half-century, suicide rates have increased nearly 60% worldwide. This is your opportunity to investigate ways to think about this stigmatized subject. You'll examine what great philosophers and holy books say about suicide, and consider the numerous factors that sometimes compel people to take their own lives.
S1 E18 - The Choice of Euthanasia
June 1, 2020
31min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Examine another controversial subject: euthanasia, or the deliberate ending of a life to ease suffering. By exploring the actual experiences of suffering people, the three kinds of euthanasia, and the religious and non-religious policy arguments for and against the practice, you'll be better prepared to join the debate yourself.
S1 E19 - Killing in War and the Pacifist Challenge
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Is deliberate killing justified when it happens during wartime? Consider this powerful question by looking at how depersonalization helps soldiers become more comfortable with killing; how civilizations and religious traditions have morally justified war; and arguments for (and criticism of) a pacifist approach to life.
S1 E20 - Considering Capital Punishment
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Professor Berkson discusses the nature of capital punishment, the moral arguments for and against it, and whether or not the practice accomplishes its intended purposes. Specifically, you'll focus on capital punishment as it's practiced in the United States, where debate has long been intense.
S1 E21 - Killing Non-Human Animals
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
From euthanizing a sick dog to slaughtering cows for food, how do we reconcile our feelings about killing when it comes to the non-human animals around us? Ponder the moral and spiritual dimensions of the death of other animals - and what that might reveal about our views of our own mortality.
S1 E22 - Near-Death Experiences
June 1, 2020
32min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Explore the mysterious topic of near-death experiences (NDEs). You'll encounter fascinating stories told by survivors themselves; explore the scientific studies behind - and possible explanations for - this increasingly common phenomenon; survey the four major types of NDEs; and join the passionate debate between NDE believers and skeptics.
S1 E23 - The Pursuit of Immortality
June 1, 2020
31min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
For as long as we've been aware of death, we've searched for ways to avoid it. Examine a few of the many methods people have used to attempt immortality, including Daoist alchemical methods, empirical approaches by early Muslim scientists, and cutting-edge concepts such as gene manipulation and downloading one's consciousness into a computer.
S1 E24 - The Value of Death
June 1, 2020
36min
PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Does death offer us something of value? Continue examining the idea of immortality. You'll cover the negative implications of immortality (like boredom), examine issues that Jorge Luis Borges raises in a tale about immortality, and ponder how death, surprisingly, might make a meaningful life possible.
====
Death, Dying, and the Afterlife:
Lessons from World Cultures
Mark Berkson
4.16
302 ratings51 reviews
After thousands of years of pondering it, we still find death one of life's most perplexing mysteries. Many cultures view death as a window into the true meaning of life. These 24 lectures looking at this often feared subject are an uplifting, meaningful, and multidisciplinary exploration of life's only certainty. Bringing together theology, philosophy, biology, anthropology, literature, psychology, sociology, and other fields, they are a brilliant compendium of how human beings have struggled to come to terms with mortality. You'll encounter everything from ancient burial practices, traditional views of the afterlife, and the five stages of grief to the question of killing during wartime, the phenomenon of near-death experiences, and even 21st-century theories about transcending death itself. With personal and cultural enlightenment as the overarching goal, Professor Berkson provides you with eye-opening answers to several major questions surrounding death, including: How do we think about death? How do religions approach death? When (if ever) is it justified to take a life? You'll also hear a chorus of voices from multiple disciplines, cultures, and ages as they offer sometimes shocking and sometimes refreshing perspectives on death. These voices include the Buddha, St. Paul, Albert Camus, Dylan Thomas, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross. "Many religious traditions teach that a form of regular death reflection can deepen one's appreciation for life," Professor Berkson notes. "And in some traditions, it can actually lead to spiritual transformation or awakening. As the poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, 'Whoever rightly understands and celebrates death at the same time magnifies life.'"
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Philosophy
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Death
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Psychology
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First published February 1, 2016
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May 5, 2016 by The Great Courses
ISBN
9781682767771
Language
English
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About the author
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Mark Berkson
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Dr. Mark Berkson is Professor of Religion at Hamline University. He earned a B.A. from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, an M.A. from Stanford University in East Asian Studies, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Religious Studies and Humanities. He has twice received Faculty Member of the Year awards and has received multiple fellowships for his work in Asian religions.
A world traveler, he has lived in China and visited religious and pilgrimage sites in countries such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Greece. Professor Berkson has given well over 100 presentations at conferences, universities, community meetings, and churches, and he has also appeared on radio and television news shows in segments dealing with religious issues.
His scholarly work has addressed topics such as comparative religious thought, religious ethics, death and dying, and interfaith dialogue and has appeared in books and in such prestigious journals as the Journal of Religious Ethics, Teaching Theology & Religion, and Buddhist-Christian Studies.
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4.16
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Profile Image for Petra has got better things to do than GR ;-).
Petra has got better things to do than GR ;-)
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January 9, 2017
I rewrote this totally because I read a really appalling review of a book yesterday. So this review is a Rant. God is not great, the devil is far more powerful and that's why god has to have people kill all his enemies as he can't do it himself.
The chapter on Islam makes it plain why it is perfectly all right for ISIS to throw gays off buildings, burn people alive in cages and chop off their heads. God will not judge them on their acts but only on their intentions. And their intentions are to rid the world of enemies of Allah.
In a review of another book and it says that Mohammed says there will be no resurrection until the world is rid of Jews. Vermin. Very Nazi. Explains a lot though but makes me feel unbelievably sad that people could believe myths and legends (I'm an existentialist and don't see why I should have to call 'religion' true when the religious seem to think I am some misguided potentially evil being) instead of seeing we are all just humans.
It is the time and location we live in that makes some people believe in certain things. If we lived in Greek times we'd be into Zeus, if we were Aztecs back before Spain conquered them, we'd be sacrificing endless people to have their blood run down the altars. Humanity looks for a religion to control people, especially women and those who are not from the religion are often seen as enemies.
Sorry religious people but if you believe in a god that requires you to annihilate millions of people that you say he created, what is the point? What is the point of believing in a creator if you think your given role is as destroyer? What is the point in believing in a god that is all-powerful if he can't control people and needs you to punish and kill them? What you saying is that people are more powerful than god or that there is a second god even more powerful, the devil, and god needs you to defeat him and kill off his enemies because he doesn't have the power.
If there is a creator who could create a universe so vast that there are more stars in the sky than were ever grains of sand on the earth, why would he be interested in such parochial things as being worshipped and exactly how if someone gets the words right, eats this but not that, wears this but not that they will be rewarded with a bike for Christmas, sons but not daughters, no more toothache or whatever...
As a Confucian philosopher said, tradition and the practice of religion might add beauty and meaning to your life so long as you realise that religion is man-made, to take it further and import divine meaning into it is dangerous. I am so impressed with this thought that it has changed completely how I am reading this book and even looking at my religious friends and staff.
One of the most popular inscriptions on Roman tombstones:
I was not
I was
I am not
I don't care.
That's amusing on the surface but not when you think about it, that last line is ... death. Death isn't something we experience, only dying is.
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Chuck
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July 6, 2016
"Death, Dying, and The Afterlife: Lessons from World Culture" is a series of 24 (at approximately 30 minute each) lectures by Mark Berkson released in "The Great Courses" series by The Teaching Company. Mark Berkson is a Professor of Religion at Hamline University.
Death is, as far as we know, a universal human experience. It puts an upper limit to our lives and affects how we look at our existence, how we look at the universe, and the choices we make. Humans have developed a diverse set of rituals and views on how we deal with death, both ours and that of others. And it colors how we view many topics from vegetarianism through punishment of criminals.
As the author notes, he deals with 5 "big" questions:
- How do human beings think and feel about death?
- How do human beings experience death?
- How do the world’s religious traditions understand and approach death (and the afterlife)?
- When is it justified to take life?
- How important is death to our understanding of what it means to be human?
I found the course excellent. The course was well thought out, the material carefully considered and constrained, and the lectures excellently delivered. I found his lectures on controversial topics thoughtful and helpful, even in cases where I might disagree. For me, the time and focus I put into this course was well rewarded.
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Hades
41 reviews
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August 24, 2021
This course covers many topics about death and dying: from fear of death, death rituals, to ethical questions about death and dying. The lectures were thought-provoking. I really liked the part about world traditions of death and dying.
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Yaaresse
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June 26, 2019
An excellent overview that is basically an anthropology of all things pertaining to death and dying. The lecturer covers most major religions and philosophies, touches on the history of the American funeral industry, changes in how remains are handled, and some related topics such a suicide, euthanasia, death in war, immortality, and near death experiences.
Professor Berkson sets a good pace and keeps the material interesting. He does have a tendency to speak in a very dramatic way sometimes, emphasizing the word "dead" as if it needs to have organ music after it or emphasizing other words as if they need to be spat out, but he tones that down after a few lectures.
I probably would have given this five stars except for two things: I felt Berkson covered non-Christian religious beliefs and rituals with an even hand and in a non-judgemental manner for the most part, but when he got to Christianity, he lost that objectivity and went into full rah-rah mode. I'd rather he maintained some objectivity and treated it the same as he did the other topics. Also, I could have done without the sermonizing for most of the lecture on suicide. I understand he may have felt a moral obligation to make the lecture more about prevention and intervention, but the point of the series -- at least as he introduced it -- was to look at the beliefs and traditions different cultures have around these subjects, and I felt he rushed through the bare minimum of that to spend the bulk of that lecture talking about warning signs and preventative actions. Important information, sure, but not really what the lecture was supposed to be about.
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Xavier
157 reviews
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August 20, 2020
The Great Courses almost always offer fantastic audio-books filled with great content and this one is no different. Dr. Mark Berkson is a wonderful narrator and is passionate about his subject -- death.
He covers death extensively, speaking on how the different religions of the world view dying and how they honor the deceased. You learn how funerals across the world differ depending on the culture. Berkson also teaches the scientific viewpoint on dying and speaks about near-death experiences.
Very informative and a bit depressing but overall educational. It gave me things to think about while on my commute that's for sure.
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Žygimantas
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January 1, 2021
In short - whole anthropology of death class in one place. Mark Berkson tries to be as least bias as possible and gives contrary viewpoints on specific topics. Despite, sometimes he shows his own personal opinion and insights, but does not present it as better or “truer” than the rest. The course is rich of examples of movies, books, and references to other scholars. More deeply works of Ernest Becker and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross were explained, but I found lack of thicker descriptions of topics, mentioned in the first part of the book (before world religions). When the listener is introduced to main ideas of the topic, the narrative suddenly ends too soon and author switches the topic to another subject, before the broader debate. Regardless of that, last chapters were very good, so I decided to give it 4/5 stars.
After all, I would recommend this audiobook to everyone interested in death topic. It lets you reexamine your own thoughts about death and to see its influence in everyday's life. I would like to re-listen it someday again.
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Ivy-Mabel Fling
422 reviews
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January 14, 2019
This is an excellent course which looks at death from many perspectives and weaves in the work of many philosophers, writers and psychologists. I found the teacher extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. Definitely a course I would recommend to anyone who thinks they might die some day!
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Ericka Clou
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March 28, 2018
This covered a variety of topics about death without going into a great deal of depth on any of the topics. For example, Berkson gave an entire lecture each to the Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist, and Confucian concept of death and death rituals (6 lectures total). I see why that's important but the course is already a summary of the concept and experience of death in human society. Throwing in summaries of all the world's religions - mostly information of which I was already aware- didn't leave a lot of time for everything else about death. I also felt like the lecture on vegetarianism- again, something I've read about at length in other more through sources- was really not to the point.
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Innastholiel
466 reviews
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August 12, 2017
4.5 stars.
A very interesting course; part philosophy, part religious studies, part biology and physiology, part cultural studies ... this course draws from many fields of study, in short. I got a bit bored during the lectures recounting how death is treated in various religious traditions, not because it wasn't interesting, but because there are 8 or so of these consecutively, and they are structured in a very similar way.
Still, Berkson is an excellent lecturer, and he does a good job giving an overview of how death is handled in various societies as well as talking about some more controversial subjects like euthanasia, death in war, and killing animals for human use.
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Rhiannon
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October 30, 2019
whistle stop tour around the beliefs and understanding of death. very enjoyable and can be useful to many
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 51 reviews
