Death and Afterlife

"If you believe only in an afterlife, you are restricted to a very limited, dualistic view of time. There is only 'here' and 'after.' But if life is continuous, if the soul never stops making its journey, a completely different worldview opens up" (Deepak Chopra, 2000, p. 258).

How do various religions -- Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism -- view the afterlife? What are the beliefs of these faiths as to what happens when believers pass away? These questions will be addressed in this paper.

The Afterlife From the Perspective of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism

In Judaism believers use the Old Testament exclusively. In the Old Testament there are many passages that refer to the afterlife, including Job 20:26: "And when after my skin this is destroyed. Then without my flesh shall I see God" (Morse, 2005, p. 155). Another reference to the afterlife in the...
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