Religion -- Concepts of Death Essay

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The work of Chidester explores different types of death, and symbolizes three patterns describing the transcendence of death: ancestral, experiential, and cultural (12). Types of death, and the way death is imagined, can help human beings die in a meaningful way, give life ultimate meaning, and significance (Chidester: 12). The ancestral transcendence represents a type of biological death, meaning this form of transcendence provides a way for the individual to connect with a continuous biological chain of parents and offspring (Chidester: 12). This is significant as the family line is not broken by death; death provides an ongoing continuity of family. The psychological type of death is considered experiential transcendence, and represents "profound and often intense psychological experiences that embrace death in acceptance or ecstasy" (Chidester: 14). Accepting and embracing death signifies death as a psychologically peaceful experience. A third type of death is social, referred to as cultural transcendence, and is considered a form of collective memory that keeps an individual alive as a social person (Chidester: 16). Cultural transcendence is significant as it allows for the commemoration of individuals by keeping their memory in the hearts and minds of the living.

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The concept of death, its meaning, and significance have been questioned by humankind long before recorded history. Death is inevitability, and every human being experiences this nature of their own mortality. The concept of death has influenced human history by inspiring a sense of rebirth and mortal urgency, acknowledging the existence of a higher power, and contributed to the unification of society. Understanding who is a human being involves the consideration of biological, psychological, sociological, and religious influences. Differing types of death have given rise to different types of transcendence: ancestral, experiential, and cultural. Each type explores the role of death in the lifespan, and how the individual connects with their mortality. As long as human beings continue to exist, so will their questioning of death, its implications, and meaning. Understanding the human perspective on death requires one to consider multiple points-of-view and biological, psychological, sociological, and religious perspectives.

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