The End: a Cross-Cultural Look At Death

One of the only certain universal experiences for
all human beings is death.
However, nearly every aspect of that experience
varies from culture to
culture. How do we respond to the dying? How do we
mark their passing?
What is done with the body? How is the person
remembered by the
living? Is there life after death? This course is
an exploration into the
rituals, beliefs, and customs of varied cultures
and religions surrounding
death and dying. We will discuss concepts of the
soul, grief and mourning,
symbolism, origin myths, burial rituals and more.
This course seeks to
open our minds to the wide cultural and religious
variety of approaches to
"The End" of life as a rite of passage.