Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly JourneysBelief in a spirit world, and a blissful or agonizing afterlife, is one of the most pervasive and deeply rooted characteristics of religion. This volume offers a wide ranging exploration of this basic religious theme. Most of the case studies are drawn from Jewish and Christian tradition, providing in depth coverage of Judaism and Christianity from late Antiquity through the Medieval period. There are also examples from Islamic, Japanese, and Chinese