Dust to Dust or Ashes to Ashes?: A Christian Examination of Cremation
Alvin J. Schmidt
“Most Christians who argue in favor of cremation are probably unaware of the degree to which the values of secular/neo-pagan culture have influenced them in their thinking, beliefs, and actions. The forces of culture are rarely recognized by those who are affected by them. As the following pages point out, whether God could resurrect a cremated body was never questioned by the early Christians or their later descendants. The early Christians, surrounded by Greco-Roman pagans, spurned cremation for reasons that had nothing to do with whether God, in His almighty power, could resurrect cremated human bodies. [...]I especially hope Christians reading this book will see that cremation is not a God-pleasing act and, thus, continue to follow the tradition of their Christian ancestors by practicing earth burial for their loved ones and for themselves.” —“Preface”
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 2. CREMATION: ITS PAGAN ORIGINS 3. CREMATION: PAST AND PRESENT 4. THE ANCIENT ISRAELITE VIEW OF CREMATION 5. EARLY CHRISTIAN REJECTION OF CREMATION 6. BIBLICAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST CREMATION 7. ACQUIESCENCE OF CLERGY AND CHURCHES 8. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS NOTES
Item Number: BKRP779 Publication data: Salisbury, MA: Regina Orthodox Press, Inc., 2005 Format: softcover Number of pages: iv + 134 Dimensions (l × w × h): 21.6 cm × 14.1 cm × 0.8 cm ISBN-10: 1‒928653‒21‒9 ISBN-13: 978‒1‒928653‒21‒9
