Interactions with the Dead: Past and Present

Eventually, face it, you are going to die. Death is an inevitable, and an inescapable component of life. There are, however, certain moments that bring the living closer to the dead, which this course will explore by analyzing interactions between the dead and the living in a range of contexts -- including religious, cultural, commercial, legal, and ethical. We will survey the diversity of human reactions to death and dead bodies by considering examples from the ancient and modern world.