Explore Books on Cremation
This unusual piece of writing is equal parts social history and personal memoir. Rosen, a columnist for the New York Times and author of Lobster Boy, has gathered anthropological facts on the treatment of human remains in recorded history and goes on to lobby for cremation as a cheaper alternative to traditional burial, even for those whose religion frowns upon it. Curious readers will be able to pick out the pertinent research, such as the shift in cultural thought surrounding cremation from heretical act to sanitary public solution. However, Rosen's nonobjective approach to his subject and frequent use of rhetorical questions to introduce his ideas weaken the effectiveness of the data dramatically. The author can't seem to decide whether he's offering casual gossip or serious journalism. The appendixes, "Famous Celebrities Whose Ashes Were Scattered on Land" and "Famous Celebrities Whose Ashes Were Scattered on Water," are arguably the most inviting sections. This is best suited for younger readers with a nascent sense of the macabre.
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From Library Journal
As Prothero (religion, Boston Univ.) states in the introduction, "what Americans usually do is bury." In this outstanding work, he delves deeply into a subject that is often avoided: death and, most specifically, cremation. He reads ancient texts, showing how the likes of Homer, Virgil, and Ovid discussed cremation. As Christianity rose in the West, cremation disappeared, and from the late fourth century C.E. until the 17th century burial was the accepted way to dispose of the dead. Prothero cites English physician Sir Thomas Browne's 1658 book on cremation as critical to the modern cremation movement. But Prothero focuses mainly on cremation in America. Starting in the late 1800s, when the first modern American cremations took place, Prothero traces the changing views about cremation in America up to the present. Now almost a quarter of the populace chooses cremation, and cultural icons such as John Lennon and President Kennedy have been cremated without a second thought. Some of the more interesting sections of the book consider the interplay of cremation and public health and the centrality of the immortality of the soul to cremationists. This very interesting book is highly recommended for larger public, academic, and theological libraries.DJay Stephens, Roanoke Higher Education Ctr. Lib., VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From biblical times, we have honored the body as witness among us to the sacramental presence of God and as a temple of God's Holy Spirit. Today, both the body of the deceased Christian and its cremated mortal remains receive due Christian respect. Fr. Rutherford, an expert on the Order of Christian Funerals, surveys the Catholic heritage behind recent cremation directives and offers a practical guide to how the cremated remains of the deceased may be present in the Catholic funeral liturgy. Honoring the Dead addresses the history, theology, and practical guidelines regarding cremation.
Catholics in the United States desire an approach to the use of cremation that is both Catholic and responsive to personal decisions of the faithful who select cremation. The revised Order of Christian Funerals reflects such an approach. With sound pastoral judgment, founded on a full appreciation of the Order of Christian Funerals, and with commitment to the faith it proclaims, Fr. Rutherford explains how Catholic parishes can serve their people with greater flexibility and inspiration.
