A Thanatological Methodoly: Religions, Death and Afterlife

In freshly studying a religious tradition with a thanatological lens, a two-layered survey of questions, first general, and then particular, will assist in the placement of the tradition - in terms of how it treats death - on a relative continuum. Thus placed, comparison will be made the more easy. The thanatologist, however, will also need to pursue an understanding of the origin and reasons for the details highlighted by such a survey. Hopefully in the course of pinpointing the details themselves, an understanding of their antecedent causes may begin to develop. 

It should be noted that these layers of questioning could be applied in the order opposite that which has been chosen here. If it seemed suitable or advantageous to the thanatologist, he may seek to tally the particulars of orthodoxy and orthopraxy before examining the deeper undercurrents of influence upon them. In outlining the two layers, establishment of understanding of those general influences has been prioritized, so that such understanding will be kept in mind while one takes inventory of the details. The two should segue fairly well into one another whatever their order, in any case.

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I. The General Layer - Religion and Art
The first layer of questions are characterized by Vermeule's Death in Early Greek Art and Poetry. Their object is not necessarily to determine specific details of the tradition's idea systems and practices regarding death (with which the second layer will be entirely concerned), but to establish a sense of how those beliefs and practices are formed and continually influenced. Of especial interest in this layer as here formulated is the influence of art on the tradition, but similar questions of influence could be raised: the influential relationship of religion and modern science, for example. Here, with an eye to being the most generally applicable (and with an eye to being soon applied to ancient China), the relation of art, as in Vermeule's work, has been maintained.