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Seven heavens? The character and importance of afterlife belief among contemporary Australians
This article draws on in-depth qualitative interviews with 52 people to examine the meaning and character of afterlife belief among contemporary Australians. It explores the varieties of afterlife belief and considers the impact such beliefs have, particularly in relation to death and dying. The analysis reveals that afterlife belief is varied, individualistic and mainly arrived at with little to no reference to orthodox religious teaching. People variously believe in heaven, reincarnation, life on another plane or something more abstract. Those who follow faithfully a religious tradition are largely ignorant of detailed theological doctrines about life after death and like other kinds of believers, exercise their own authority and judgment over matters of belief.
History
Journal
MortalityVolume
21Issue
2Pagination
167 - 184Publisher
Taylor & FrancisLocation
London, Eng.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1469-9885eISSN
1469-9885Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal articleCopyright notice
2015, Taylor & FrancisUsage metrics
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