Death and the Afterlife in Judaism and Early Christianity

Required Book(s)

There is only one required book for this course, which is:

Segal, Alan.  Life After Death.  NY:  Doubleday, 2004.

We will also read select chapters from other sources to fill in gaps on background, or to provide additional perspective.  These will be determined and listed on the final syllabus.  See “Recommended Books” below.

Finally, we will be reading various biblical texts during the course, which will be available through web links or on Blackboard.  Some of you may wish to purchase a Study Bible, though, especially if you find having one will be useful to you in your future research and studies.  If you would like to purchase one, I recommend the following editions: 

• The New Interpreter’s Study Bible
• The HarperCollins Study Bible
• The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha:  New Revised Standard Version

There is no need to purchase a Study Bible for this course.  It is up to you if you will find it useful to have one.

Recommended Books

Chapters will be selected from some of the books below and will be part of your required reading.  These chapters will be placed on reserve in Hartford Seminary’s library and on e-reserve in Blackboard before the beginning of the course.

• Boustan, Ra’anan S. and Reed, Annette Yoshiko.  Heavenly Realms and Earthly Realities in Late Antique Religions.  UK:  Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Collins, John.  The Apocalyptic Imagination:  An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature.  MI:  William B. Eerdmans, 1998.
• Johnston, Philip S.  Shades of Sheol:  Death and Afterlife in the Old Testament.  Illinois, InterVarsity Press, 2002.
• Nickelsburg, George.  Resurrection, Immortalilty and Eternal Life in Intertestamental Judaism.  Cambridge:  Harvard University Press, 1972.
• Raphael, Simcha Paull.  Jewish Views of the Afterlife, 2^nd edition.  UK:  Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2009.
• Van De Mieroop, Marc.  A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC, 2^nd edition.  (Blackwell History of the Ancient World Series.)  UK:  Blackwell, 2007.
• --A History of Ancient Egypt.  (Blackwell History of the Ancient World Series.)  UK:  Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
• Wright, J. Edward.  The Early History of Heaven.  NY:  Oxford University Press, 2000.
• Wright, N.T.  The Resurrection of the Son of God.  MN:  Fortress Press, 2003.

Suggested Reading – any book listed above under “Recommended Reading” would provide excellent background for this course.  Here are a few more titles for those with special interests, or who might wish a more popular read on the subject.

• Albom, Mitch.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven.  NY:  Hyperion, 2003. -- A well-known fiction-writer describes a possible and uplifting afterlife.
• Bernstein, Alan.  The Formation of Hell:  Death and Retribution in the Ancient and Early Christian Worlds.  Ithaca, NY:  Cornell University Press, 1993. – A look at how the idea of hell took shape in antiquity through historical and textual analysis.
• George, Andrew.  The Epic of Gilgamesh.  UK:  Penguin, 1999. – An ancient Sumerian tale about the quest for immortality.
• Lewis, C.S.  The Great Divorce.  NY:  HarperCollins, 1946, 1973.  A short and poignant tale of a man who travels to heaven and hell, inspiring personal reflection.
• McDannell, Colleen.  Heaven:  A History, 2^nd edition.  New Haven:  Yale University Press, 2001. – Provides a history of Christian interpretations of Heaven to the modern period.
• Turner, Alice K.  The History of Hell.  US:  Harvest Books, 1993.  A tour through hell beginning in antiquity to more modern expressions in art, literature and poetry.
• Vermes, Geza.  The Resurrection.  NY:  Doubleday, 2008.  Examines the evolution of the idea of bodily resurrection in ancient Judaism and Christianity.
• Von Dassow, Eva, et al.  The Egyptian Book of the Dead.  San Francisco:  Chronicle Books, 2008.  –  The classic source for Egyptian views of the afterlife.

Assessment

“Take-Home” Midterm – 30%

“Take-Home” Final – 40%

Attendance and Participation/Discussion Board Assignments – 20%

Journal – 10%

Attendance Policy

Your attendance and participation on the Discussion Board is a course requirement.  Your grade in this area is based on how carefully and thoroughly you have read the assigned texts and prepared your posts.  You are expected to submit informed and reflective responses to the assigned questions each week. In addition, you will post responses to at least two of your peers’ posts.  Both your assignments and your responses to peers will be assessed according to the Discussion Rubric, which will be available for your convenience on the Blackboard site.