The perception of death in major religions and philosophies
Introduction
What happens after death? This universal question crosses all cultures and all eras. Each spiritual tradition brings its own answer, profoundly shaping our relationship with finitude and grief.
Major religions and philosophies offer contrasting visions of death. For some, it marks the beginning of an eternal afterlife. For others, it is merely a stage in an infinite cycle of rebirths. Still others consider it a simple return to nothingness, without metaphysical dimension.
These beliefs about death are not mere abstract speculations. They directly influence funeral rites, the grieving process and the way families honour their deceased. Understanding these different approaches allows us to appreciate the richness of funeral traditions and to better respect everyone's choices.
From Christianity to Islam, from Hinduism to Buddhism, from ancient philosophies to contemporary secular visions, this article explores how major traditions approach the mystery of death and what they teach us about life itself.
📌 Summary (TL;DR)
Major religions and philosophies propose varied visions of death: resurrection and judgement for monotheisms, cycles of reincarnation for Hinduism and Buddhism, serene acceptance for Stoics or simple natural end for secular humanists. These beliefs directly shape funeral practices and the way families experience grief today.
📚 Table of contents
Death in the major monotheistic religions
The three Abrahamic religions – Christianity, Islam and Judaism – share a common origin and certain fundamental convictions about death. All three consider death as a passage rather than an absolute end.
These traditions affirm the existence of an immortal soul that survives the physical body. They also incorporate the notion of divine judgement and an afterlife where earthly actions find their reward or sanction.
Despite these convergences, each religion develops its own theology of death and its specific funeral practices, reflecting centuries of doctrinal and cultural evolution.
Christianity: resurrection and eternal life
For Christians, the resurrection of Christ constitutes the definitive victory over death. This central belief transforms death into a promise of eternal life for the faithful.
Christian tradition clearly distinguishes the perishable body and the immortal soul. After death, the soul awaits the Last Judgement, a period often described as a spiritual sleep.
The destinations of the soul include heaven for the righteous, hell for the damned, and according to certain denominations, purgatory as a stage of purification. These beliefs profoundly influence Christian funeral rites, which blend grief and hope of resurrection.
Islam: return to Allah and Day of Judgement
In Islam, death marks the return of the soul to its Creator. This passage is experienced as a natural stage, inscribed in the divine will that should be accepted with submission.
Between death and resurrection, the soul crosses the Barzakh, a waiting period in the grave. The Day of the Last Judgement will see all beings resurrected to answer for their deeds.
The final destinations are Jannah (paradise) for virtuous believers and Jahannam (hell) for those who have rejected the faith. This vision structures Muslim funeral practices, marked by the speed of burial and strict respect for the body.
Judaism: diversity of beliefs
Judaism is distinguished by the absence of unified dogma concerning the afterlife. The texts evoke Sheol, the abode of the dead, and Olam Ha-Ba, the world to come, without strict doctrinal precision.
This tradition privileges earthly life and concrete actions rather than speculations about the afterlife. The memory of the deceased and the transmission of values to future generations occupy a central place.
Jewish funeral practices testify to a profound respect for the body, considered as the receptacle of the divine soul. Rapid burial and the simplicity of rites reflect the equality of all before death.
Eastern religions: cycles and liberation
The spiritual traditions of Asia – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism – propose a radically different vision of death. They conceive it not as a unique event, but as a link in a chain of rebirths.
The central concept is that of samsara, the cycle of successive existences. Death is merely a transition to a new life, whose form depends on accumulated karma.
These philosophies also share the idea of a possible liberation from this eternal cycle, the ultimate goal of spiritual life which bears different names according to traditions.
Hinduism: reincarnation and moksha
Hinduism teaches that the eternal soul (atman) passes through countless existences in the cycle of samsara. Each life is determined by karma, the universal law of cause and effect that governs actions and their consequences.
Physical death is merely a passage: the soul leaves a worn body to don a new one, like changing clothes. The ultimate goal is to attain moksha, the definitive liberation from the cycle of rebirths.
This belief explains the practice of cremation, which liberates the soul from its bodily envelope and facilitates its transition to its next existence or to final liberation.
Buddhism: impermanence and nirvana
Buddhism places impermanence (anicca) at the heart of its philosophy. Everything changes constantly, including our consciousness. Unlike Hinduism, it teaches the absence of a permanent soul (anatta).
What reincarnates is not a fixed entity, but a flow of consciousness conditioned by attachment and desire. Death offers a unique opportunity for liberation if the mind is prepared.
Nirvana represents the extinction of suffering and the exit from the cycle of rebirths. Meditation on death is a common practice to cultivate detachment and awareness of our finitude.
Ancient philosophies facing death
Greek and Roman thinkers approached the question of death with the tools of reason, without necessarily resorting to religious explanations. Their reflections continue to influence Western philosophy.
These philosophical schools sought above all to free man from the fear of death, considered as one of the main sources of human anguish. Their objective was practical: to live better by thinking correctly about death.
Stoicism and Epicureanism, the two great Hellenistic traditions, developed radically different strategies to achieve serenity in the face of our finitude.
Stoicism: serene acceptance
For Stoics like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus, death is a natural and inevitable event. Fighting against it is absurd since it escapes our control.
The famous memento mori ("remember that you will die") is not morbid, but liberating. It reminds us to concentrate our energy on what depends on us: our thoughts, our actions, our values.
Living in accordance with nature means serenely accepting our mortal condition. This philosophy encourages us to see each day as a gift and to cultivate virtue independently of lifespan.
Epicureanism: death is nothing to us
Epicurus proposes a radical argument: "Death is nothing to us. As long as we exist, death is not present, and when it is present, we no longer exist."
This logic dissolves the fear of death by showing that it can never be experienced. Epicureanism also rejects the fear of gods and of post-mortem judgement.
According to Epicurean physics, the soul is composed of atoms that disperse at death. There is therefore neither survival nor punishment to fear. This conviction liberates man so that he can concentrate on pleasure and present life.
Contemporary and secular visions
Modernity has seen the emergence of approaches to death that do not rely on traditional religious frameworks. These secular perspectives are nonetheless profound and meaningful.
Existentialism, humanism and various forms of non-religious spirituality propose answers to the question of death anchored in concrete human experience rather than in revelation.
These currents often share the idea that it is precisely our finitude that gives value and intensity to our existence, thus reversing the traditional religious perspective.
Existentialism: death gives meaning to life
For Heidegger, we are "beings-towards-death". Recognising our finitude is not morbid, but constitutes the condition of an authentic existence. It is by assuming our mortality that we cease to live in illusion.
Sartre sees in death the absolute limit that makes our freedom both tragic and precious. Each choice matters more because our time is counted.
Camus, faced with the absurdity of our condition, refuses suicide and religious consolations. He proposes lucid revolt: to live fully despite the absence of transcendent meaning.
Secular humanism: memory and legacy
Secular humanism assumes the absence of afterlife whilst refusing nihilism. Physical mortality does not cancel the significance of a human life nor its capacity to leave a trace.
Collective memory, the remembrance of loved ones and the cultural or moral legacy transmitted to future generations constitute a form of symbolic immortality. What survives are actions, creations and values.
Secular ceremonies and new forms of commemoration, such as online memorial pages, allow this memory to be honoured without religious reference, respecting everyone's convictions.
Common points and divergences between traditions
Despite their profound differences, all these traditions share the recognition of death as a universal existential question. Each seeks to offer meaning and comfort in the face of the unknown.
Funeral rites, present in all cultures, testify to the human need to mark this passage and to accompany the deceased. They structure grief and maintain the link between the living and the dead.
The divergences are equally significant: linear conception of time (Abrahamic religions) versus cyclical vision (Eastern religions), belief in an immortal soul or in its dissolution, importance of the body or of its ritual destruction. These differences concretely shape funeral practices.
The influence on funeral practices today
These philosophical and religious beliefs continue to structure contemporary funeral rites. In Switzerland, a multicultural society, religious pluralism requires funeral services adapted to all traditions.
We also observe an increasing personalisation of ceremonies, which sometimes integrate elements from several traditions or create new secular rituals. Respect for the convictions of the deceased and their family becomes central.
Platforms such as Wolky allow you to publish an obituary respectful of all beliefs, to create personalised memorial spaces and to find funeral homes adapted to the specific needs of each family, whatever their spiritual tradition.
Whether it be resurrection, reincarnation, nirvana or simply collective memory, each tradition offers its own answer to the universality of death. Monotheistic religions promise spiritual continuity, Eastern philosophies teach detachment and cycles, whilst secular thinkers invite us to give meaning to present existence.
These visions still shape our funeral rituals and our relationship with grief today. They remind us that celebrating the life of a departed loved one transcends beliefs: it is a fundamental human need to remember, to share and to honour.
If you wish to pay tribute to a loved one with respect for your convictions, Wolky accompanies you with simplicity and dignity. Create a memorial space accessible to all, share photos and memories, and allow everyone to pay their respects at their own pace. Publish an obituary in a few minutes for 180 CHF, with no hidden fees.
