Life After Death - by Steven B Cowan & Graham Oppy & David Apolloni (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

All major religions in history have offered hope of some kind of afterlife to answer the perennial interest in the question of life after death.

This volume brings together renowned experts in the philosophy of religion, Graham Oppy, David Apolloni, Shyam Ranganathan, Joshua Farris and Steven B. Cowan, to present four key starting points in the life after death debate.

Providing a lively and collaborative dialogue between leaders in the field, each thinker defends a particular view of the afterlife and critically interacts with the alternative perspectives. They focus on the positions of No Life After Death, the Immortality of the Soul, Reincarnation and Resurrection, with each chapter drawing on views from naturalism, antiquity, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism and Yoga. This engagement moves the current debate forward to consider global perspectives whilst the clear and accessible structure allows for a developed exploration of the central issues at stake.

Incorporating views spanning secular and religious spheres in both the east and west, this comprehensive guide will be welcomed by students and scholars of contemporary philosophy of religion and comparative philosophy.

Review Quotes

"Some estimate that over three hundred million Near Death Experiences have occurred worldwide, and interest in this subject is skyrocketing. Scholars are divided about their veracity, but to my knowledge, never have the two sides in thoroughgoing interaction been brought together in one book. That makes this volume unique and important." --J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University

"Life After Death shows us that belief in an afterlife can be debated with skillful, powerful philosophical arguments and objections This is a rich, accessible debate that should engage any reader interested in whether biological death is the end of persons or whether some continued existence is not wishful thinking but a real, even plausible possibility." --Charles Taliaferro, Emeritus Overby Distinguished Professor, St. Olaf College

"Life After Death: Four Views is a rare and timely contribution-the first analytic exchange to take seriously both the empirical evidence for the afterlife and the conceptual diversity of what "life beyond death" might mean. The contributors engage perspectives ranging from naturalism and Eastern thought to Platonic immortality and the Judeo-Christian vision of resurrection, offering a rich panorama of possibilities. The discussion is rigorous, lucid, and at times genuinely surprising-an invigorating dialogue for philosophers, theologians, and all who care about the question of what it means to live, to die, and to continue. Take up and read!" --Benedikt Paul Göcke, Chair of Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy of Science, Ruhr-University Bochum

About the Author

Steven B. Cowan is Chair in the Department of Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lincoln Memorial University, USA.

Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University, Australia.

David Apolloni is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Augsburg University, USA.

Shyam Ranganathan is Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department of York University, Canada.

Joshua Farris is Humboldt Experienced Researcher Fellow at Bochum University, Germany.