From Dust to Ashes: Cremation and the British Way of Death

by P. Jupp

Overview

Seventy per cent of British families now choose cremation for their funerals, a rapid change in traditional death customs. This is the first book to investigate why cremation replaced burial. It examines the political, religious, economic and social reasons behind personal choice and sets them in a European context. This study is doubly timely with the expanding scholarly interest in death studies, and the new media interest in the British way of death.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781349401550
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	01/01/2006
Edition description:	1st ed. 2006
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

PETER C. JUPP is a United Reformed Church Minister and a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Sociology, University of Bristol, UK. He is a founding editor of the quarterly journal Mortality, Chairman of the Council of the Cremation Society of Great Britain and a non-executive director of the London Cremation Company.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction How The Church Lost Its Monopoly Of Burial, 1820-1852 Cremation Legalised, 1852-1884 The Early Years of Cremation, 1884-1914 The Development of Cremation, 1914-1939 The Advance of Cremation: Wartime and Reconstruction, 1939-1952 The Popularisation of Cremation in England, 1952-2000 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

'[T]his study can be read with benefit both by scholars with historical, sociological or theological interests and by non-specialists interested in how societies change their customs.' - Ageing& Society

'This gem of a study focuses on documenting the success of cremation for the disposal of remains in England... Scholars involved in research on funerals, cremation, or even more broadly, social movements, will find this a most useful tome.' - Kenneth J. Doka, Omega: Journal of Death and Dying

'...it makes a useful reference text for practitioners seeking background information on the disposal of foetal remains, the natural death movement, environmental issues as they relate to cremation, and the impact of the Shipman case on cremation certification.' - Julie Rugg, BereavementCare

In comparison to another book on the History of Cremation:

'With the growing interest in, and study of, death, both of these books will be welcomed by specialists. A broader readership will be better served by the greater historical, sociological and theological scope and sophistication of Jupp's Study.' - Richard Sykes, Journal of Ecclesiastical History

From the Publisher