Conceptions of the afterlife in early civilizations: Universalism, constructivism and near-death experience

255 Pages·2009·2.01 MB·English

by  Gregory Shushan

Conceptions of the Afterlife
in Early Civilizations
Continuum Advances in Religious Studies
Series Editors: James Cox, Peggy Morgan
The Appropriation of Native American Spirituality, Suzanne Owen
Contemporary Western Ethnography and the Defi nition of Religion, M. D. Stringer
A New Paradigm of Spirituality and Religion, MaryCatherine Burgess
Religion and the Discourse on Modernity, Paul François-Tremlett
Theology and Religious Studies in Higher Education, D. L. Bird and Simon G. Smith
Conceptions of the Afterlife
in Early Civilizations
Universalism, Constructivism, and
Near-Death Experience
Gregory Shushan
Continuum International Publishing Group
The Tower Building 80 Maiden Lane
11 York Road Suite 704
London SE1 7NX New York NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com
© Gregory Shushan 2009
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission
in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN-10: HB: 0-8264-4073-8
ISBN-13: HB: 978-0-8264-4073-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Conceptions of the afterlife in early civilizations : universalism, constructivism, and
near-death experience / edited by Gregory Shushan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8264-4073-0
ISBN-10: 0-8264-4073-8
1. Future life. 2. Universalism. 3. Near-death experiences. I. Shushan, Gregory. II. Title.
BL535.C65 2009
202’.3–dc22 2008045255
Typeset by Newgen Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd, Chennai, India
Printed and bound in Great Britain by the MPG Books Group
Dedicated to my mother, for a sense of wonder, curiosity,
and lifelong intellectual and creative inspiration beyond words; and
to my father, to whom all the mysteries herein have been revealed,
for the balancing counterweight of pragmatism and scepticism,
and for planting the seeds of confi dence and aspiration.
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Contents
Foreword by Gavin Flood x
Acknowledgements xii
Abbreviations of Primary Sources xiv
Introduction 1
Part One: Theory and Methodology in Concept and Application
1. Comparison, Universalism, and the Rehabilitation of
the Comparative ‘Similar’ 9
2. Early Civilizations, Contact, Diffusion, and Cultural Continuity 25
3. Near-Death Experience 37
Part Two: Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations
4. Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt 53
Introduction 53
The Pyramid Texts 54
Teaching for King Merikare 61
The Coffi n Texts 61
The Book of Two Ways 64
Summary and Conclusions 66
5. Sumerian and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia 70
Introduction 70
The Bilgames Texts 70
Inana’s Descent to the Underworld and Other Dumuzid Texts 75
Ningishzida’s Journey to the Netherworld 79
The Death of Ur-Namma 80
Enlil and Ninlil 80
Etana and Other ‘Ascent’ Texts 81
Other Miscellaneous Texts 82
Summary and Conclusions 83
viii Contents
6. Vedic India 90
Introduction 90
The Vedas 91
The Brahmanas 96
The Upanishads 99
Summary and Conclusions 104
7. Pre-Buddhist China 107
Introduction 107
Shang Inscriptions and the Confucian Classics 108
Early Daoist Texts 111
Chu ci and Other Poems 113
Popular Songs 118
Shanhaijing 119
Funerary Documents 120
Summary and Conclusions 121
8. Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica 124
Introduction 124
The Popol Vuh 124
The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel 129
Relación de las Cosas de Yucatán 130
Legend of the Suns 130
Annals of Cuauhtitlan 131
History of the Things of New Spain and Other Spanish Documents 132
Mexica and Aztec Poetry and Songs 136
Summary and Conclusions 137
Part Three: Universalism and Culture-Specifi city:
An Interdisciplinary Approach
9. Analysis of Similarities and Differences 143
Conclusions 153
10. The Interface of Conception and Experience 162
11. Alternative and Supplementary Theories 175
Constructivist 175
Conceptual Logic, Cognition, and Neurotheology 181
Metaphysical 185
12. Conclusions: Theoretical Eclecticism and
a New Comparative Framework 193
Contents ix
Notes 202
References 210
Index 225