The Preface examines the concept of life in the Old Testament which is discovered to be centred firmly on this world; special reference is made to life in the Wisdom Literature. Death at the end of a long and full life was accepted with resignation. Despite the paucity of references to death and the underworld in the Old Testament, there are passages which contain references to the mythology of death. The first chapter provides a background by reviewing the relevant aspects of the mythology of death in Egypt, Mesopotamia and Canaan. Chapter 2 lists the names for the underworld in the Old Testament end considers the mythological allusions which contain references to the location and characteristics of the underworld. Chapter 3 discusses the dwellers in the underworld. The words rp'um in the Ugaritic texts and rp'm in Phoenician inscriptions are surveyed as a background to rephaim in the Old Testament, The practices of necromancy and tomb-offerings are considered and it is concluded that while popular practice condoned them, official religion condemned them. In the fourth chapter the relation between the world ocean and the nether world is set out. As in the rest of the Ancient Near East the underworld was represented as lying in the depths of the ocean at the foot of the pillars which supported the earth. The deceased had to traverse this ocean on his way to the underworld. Chapter 5 deals with the concept of Sheol as a monster with gaping jaws and an insatiable appetite. This figure owes its ultimate origin to the Ugaritic god of death, Mot, whose ravenous appetite was proverbial. The sixth chapter surveys the personifications of death as a hunter, a shepherd and a robber. The powers of the underworld such as Abaddon, Sheol, Death the King of Terrors and the First-born of Death are discussed. In conclusion, it is observed that the mythological allusions are fragmented and moribund, serving, for the most part, a literary purpose within the context of the Old Testament. Death was an experience which meant the cessation of all life.

No description available.

It was by no means conceived that this one writing could answer all the questions concerning the Christian answers or beliefs in regard to death. The theme presented here is an historical survey of representative periods and figures from the ancient Hebrew times through the Protestant Reformation which demonstrates the evolving and emerging patterns of death. No Christian perspective could be found without dealing with the fundamental concepts herein. As the title suggests, this is simply a start but nevertheless a basic start. All of Christian theology is related to the Death of Christ so it is to His Death that the Church must continually readdress itself.

林津. / 論文(神學碩士) -- 香港中文大學硏究院宗敎及神學學部, 1995. / 參考文獻: leaves 61-64. / Lin Jin. / Chapter 第一章： --- 導論 --- p.一 / 基督敎對其他宗敎的立場 / 絶對主義 --- p.四 / 包容主義 --- p.七 / 相對主義 --- p.九 / 以上三個立場的共同困難 --- p.十二 / 宗敎對話 / 宗敎對話的立場 --- p.十五 / 宗敎對話的條件 --- p.十七 / 宗敎對話的落實 --- p.十九 / 本文所選取的對話範圍 / 死亡作爲宗敎對話的起點 --- p.二十一 / 佛敎作爲中國傳統思想的代表 --- p.二十二 / 兩點補充 --- p.二十五 / Chapter 第二章： --- 佛敎與基督敎的死亡觀 / 佛敎中的死亡觀 / 宇宙和人類的根源 --- p.二十六 / 人的組成部份 --- p.二十七 / 人生的目的 --- p.二十八 / 人生的景況 --- p.二十九 / 死亡的定義 --- p.三十 / 死亡出現的原因 --- p.三十一 / 每人死亡的次數 --- p.三十二 / 人死後即時的景況 --- p.三十三 / 人死後最終的歸宿 --- p.三十五 / 基督敎中的死亡觀 / 宇宙和人類的根源 --- p.三十六 / 人的組成部份 --- p.三十七 / 人生的目的 --- p.三十八 / 人生的景況 --- p.三十九 / 死亡的定義 --- p.四十二 / 死亡出現的原因 --- p.四十二 / 每人死亡的次數 --- p.四十三 / 人死後即時的景況 --- p.四十五 / 人死後最終的歸宿 --- p.四十六 / 佛敎與基督敎死亡觀之比較 --- p.四十九 / Chapter 第三章： --- 不同立場在宗敎對話中可能出現的情況 / 絶對主義與宗敎對話 --- p.五十一 / 包容主義與宗敎對話 --- p.五十二 / 相對主義與宗敎對話 --- p.五十三 / 宗敎對話立場中可考慮的幾點 --- p.五十五 / 結語 --- p.五十九 / 附件： 書目 / 英文書藉 --- p.六十一 / 中文書藉 --- p.六十二 / 期刊文章 --- p.六十三 / 工具書藉 --- p.六十四

The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Jewish Tractate Mourning are important texts about death in their respective traditions. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a manual read by the living to the deceased as the deceased journeys through the many realms of the after-life. It is an abstract, philosophical text. The Tractate Mourning on the other hand, is a highly empirical and pragmatic text that guides the living through their loss. It is concerned only with the living left behind and offers no guidance to the deceased. Despite this profound difference however, this thesis has as its objective to show that both traditions, as evidenced through these texts, share an underlying emotion: compassion. Through the concern shown to the deceased as he or she stumbles through the often terrifying realms of the after-life in the Tibetan tradition, and through the precise and detailed instructions given to the living in the Jewish tradition as the mourners are guided through their grief, both texts exhibit profound compassion.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between children’s grief and their perceptions of God by utilizing children’s drawings. This research was conducted by partnering with Christian counselors and teachers who interviewed two groups of children to collect data. Counselors interviewed the experimental group of children who were between the ages of 6-12 and had experienced the death of an immediate family member. Teachers interviewed the control group of children who were between the ages of 6-12 and had not experienced the death of an immediate family member. Both groups were asked specific questions in efforts to ascertain if children in the midst of grief perceived God differently. A multilevel triangulation design was used in this study with the first phase being qualitative and the second quantitative. In phase one, both the experimental group and control group of children were each interviewed and asked to respond to these questions by drawing their answers. Upon completion of the drawings, each child was asked a series of follow-up questions in efforts to provide explanations for their drawings. Select demographic information was also collected as a part of the interview process. Phase 2 utilized a quantitative approach. A panel of raters was assigned with the task of looking for specified, coded patterns or images in each child’s drawn or verbal response. Each panel member received a description of characteristics for which to look, as well as a Thurstone scale to assess the frequency of the characteristics. Upon evaluation, this data was sent back to the researcher for anecdotal analysis. The qualitative data was collected and the results were analyzed utilizing two statistical analyses methods including a Mann-Whitney test and a four-way ANOVA. While the Mann-Whitney was used to determine the correlation between death and a child’s perception of God, the ANOVA was performed to analyze the role demographics played in children’s perception of God after they experienced a parental or sibling death. Findings from the analyses are discussed in terms of implications for future research as well as possible applications for the research.

All in all, the death of Jesus is presented as mysteriously God-willed. Likewise, the scenario of failed discipleship together with the eventual nurturing of genuine discipleship out of the Passion is also presented as mysteriously incomprehensible to the disciples. Yet, the cosmic struggle between God/Jesus/the Spirit and Satan/the satanic forces including the antagonistic religious authorities, the death of Jesus together with the predicted death of his disciples, and the eventual overcoming of failed discipleship are portrayed in the Markan story as part and parcel of the in-coming of the Kingdom of God, that Jesus proclaimed and he himself acted it out. / In sum, the aim of the present thesis is to lay bare that the themes of death and discipleship are inextricably bound to one another in Mark's story-telling and unfolding of Jesus and discipleship. A new and more compassionate understanding of the intertwined themes of death and discipleship is offered to explain the failed discipleship as depicted in that story-telling. / The above revisit of the overall Markan story under the intertwined themes of death and discipleship will be rolled out progressively in three phases (or chapters). Namely, the Galilean ministry of Jesus, the teaching of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem regarding the Kingdom of God and its consequent implications and demands on discipleship, and lastly the trial and arrest of Jesus in Jerusalem. / This Thesis is a narrative-critical study or revisit of the Markan story in the light of the intertwined and interconnected themes of death and discipleship. It will be argued that discipleship in the Markan context is ultimately the imperative command on the disciples to die for and like Jesus. Alike Jesus who is presented as carrying out his earthly ministry in the setting of the cosmic struggle between the God/the Spirit and Satan, the disciples are to face the persecution and suffering and even death. The author of Mark has Jesus reveal that his Passion would be followed by the passion of the disciples. In Mark, genuine discipleship is attained primarily with the ability to overcome the fear of death. For it is only by doing so can the disciples really take up their crosses to die for and like Jesus. However, the reality is that all the disciples, as depicted early in the Markan narrative as fallible sinners, would and did all fail Jesus. Yet, failed discipleship, though being portrayed as inevitable, is not the dead end or cul de sac in the Markan story. In the Passion Narrative, the author of Mark does endeavor to illustrate that there is a way out. In this sense, genuine discipleship will be nurtured out of the Passion. It is under this understanding of discipleship vis-a-vis death that the failed discipleship in Mark should be evaluated and compassionately understood, as conveyed in the utterance of Jesus at Gethsemane, "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak". (Mk 14:38) / Wan, Siu Fai. / Adviser: K. C. Wong. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: 2079. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 246-259). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.