Religious Death Practices

The single largest religion by total number of adherents (2.832 billion,) Christianity accounts for the largest percentage of all global religions — about 31%. The highest number of Christians currently live in the U.S., followed by Brazil, Mexico, Russia and The Philippines. Interestingly, however, if one looks at the percentage of the total population that adhere to Christianity, Vatican City (which is 100% Christian) tops the list, followed by Romania and three island nations, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Timor Leste, which each boasts the highest percentage of Christians by population, at 99%. 

Christianity is, of course, not a single religion. Broken down by total number of adherents, the major denominations of Christianity are:

Roman Catholics	1.2 billion	54%
Protestants	800,640,000	35%
Eastern Orthodox	260,380,000	11.4 %
Other	60,380,000	1.3%

The two top denominations, Roman Catholics and Protestants, share many common beliefs, including the belief in Jesus as the Savior, the concept of the  Holy Trinity, and the existence of Heaven and Hell. Catholics, however, also believe in the existence of purgatory, where the souls of those who lived a moral but imperfect life go to be purified before they are allowed into the kingdom of God. Protestant doctrine, on the other hand, teaches that the soul leaves the body immediately upon death and goes to Heaven (for the righteous) or Hell. 

Catholics also differ from Protestants in their belief in the concept of papal infallibility, which says that when the pope makes a solemn decree on matters of faith or morals, he is speaking the word of God and his pronouncement must be accepted and obeyed.

Additionally, nearly all Christian religions believe in the resurrection of Jesus, which serves as a bedrock of many doctrines of the Christian faith. Celebrated on Easter Sunday, the Resurrection is said to have occurred 3 days after Christ died on the cross, when a group of disciples found his tomb empty and no sign of his body anywhere. This was considered proof that Jesus was, in fact, the son of God and had triumphed over death.It also solidified the doctrine that all Christians would one day rise from the dead, and their bodies and souls would be reunited again in the kingdom of God. 

Death Practices of Christians

The death practices of Christians vary a great deal, especially in modern times. Not long ago, earth burial was the only acceptable form of final disposition for all Christans, who believed it was the only way the body and soul could be reunited one day. But during the Victorian era, Protestant religions began to gradually embrace the idea of cremation as an acceptable and more sanitary means of disposing of the dead. The  Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, strongly opposed the practice until 1963, when Pope John II bowed to public pressure and declared cremation acceptable as long as the ashes were buried afterwards. The Church reaffirmed this position in 2019.  Today, Roman Catholics who choose cremation can be celebrated at a funeral Mass with the ashes present if they so choose.

By contrast, Eastern Orthodox religions such as the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches still oppose cremation except in extreme circumstances (for example, a public health crisis such as Ebola). Unlike Protestants and Roman Catholics, they still hold fast to the belief that cremation  interferes with the resurrection of the body on Judgment Day. Most Eastern Orthodox religions also eschew the concepts of Heaven and Hell, believing that the afterlife comes only after the reunification of body and soul on the Last Day, when those who lived a moral life will enter the  presence of God.

Learn more about the death practices of Christians of various denominations in the articles below. 

Cremated Remains Should be Buried, Not Scattered or Kept in an Urn, Says the Roman Catholic Church

For Roman Catholics, Blessed Candles Are An Important Part of the Ritual of Last Rights 

The Roman Catholic Funeral Mass Is a Solemn, Ancient Ceremony Still Practiced Today 

In the Ancient Crypts of Capuchin Monks, Beautiful Art Dispels the Fear of Death

In the Catholic Religion, Final Prayers for the Dying Are Known as Last Rites or the Anointing of the Sick

For the Amish, Simplicity Is a Way of Life — and Death

In the Quaker Faith, Death Rituals Are Modest, In Keeping With Their Way of Life

An Old Mormon Tradition, Creamy, Cheesy Hashbrowns Are Still a Staple at Mormon Funerals

Although Their Beliefs Are Somewhat Different, Mormons Approach Funerals in Much the Same Way Other Christians Do

Anthroposophy Helps Christians Approach Death with Less Fear

Islam is the fastest growing world religion with the second largest number of adherents — 1.8 billion — as of 2015. It is also the religion with the highest number of births per capita, and the youngest median age (25 years in 2015 versus 32 years for non-Muslims.) As a result of these demographics, experts predict that the Muslim population growth will outpace world population growth by over 100% by 2060, and Islam will be the dominant world religion by 2100. 

Islam is the dominant religion in almost all of the Middle East and parts of South Asia and Africa. The five countries with the largest number of Muslims (as adherents of Islam are known)  as of 2021 are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nigeria. But by percentage of the total population, the top 10 Muslim countries are: 

• Maldives – 100% 
• Mauritania – 99.9%
• Somalia – 99.8% 
• Tunisia – 99.8% 
• Afghanistan – 99.7% 
• Algeria – 99.7% 
• Iran – 99.4%
• Yemen – 99.2%

In the U.S. and Canada, Islam is still practiced by just a very small minority — 1.1% and 3.2% of the total population respectively.

The religion of Islam is dominated by two main sects, Suni and Shia, both of which include a number of subsects. Once united as a single entity, the two sects split after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 A.D. when a dispute about who should name his successor caused a rift between the two. The Suni majority eventually won out, but the dispute between the two sects continued, growing more contentious as time wore on. Today, the conflict between the two contributes to a great deal of political and civil unrest in the Middle East. 

Despite their differences, Sunni and Shia Muslims share almost identical beliefs, the most important being the worship of a single, all-powerful God (Allah.) Like other Abrhamic religions, they also believe in an afterlife in which those who lived a moral life on earth are rewarded, and sinners are punished. Additionally, both sects adhere to the Five Pillars of Islam, which include:

• Profession of faith — Muslims profess the belief that that there is only one God and Muhammad is his prophet
• Prayer — Devout Muslims must pray facing Mecca five times a day at specific times, facing Mecca
• Alms — Muslims are expected to donate a percentage of their income to community members in need
• Fasting — During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the 9th month of the Muslim calendar, all Muslims who are healthy enough to do so are expected to fast
• Pilgrimage — Every devout Muslim who has the means to do so must make at least one pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. 

Death Practices of Muslims

Because Muslims believe in the reunification of the body and spirit on Judgment Day, burial is the only permitted form of final disposition in the Islamic faith. Muslims also avoid embalming and autopsies unless required by law, since they are considered a desecration of the body, which is prohibited by the Quran (Islam’s central religious text). After-death care is performed by the family: One or two family members of the same gender as the person who died wash the body immediately after death and cover it with a plain white sheet or shroud. Burial happens as soon as possible after death, usually within 24 hours. If possible, the person is not moved until the funeral, which takes place at a mosque. There, mourners gather outdoors facing Mecca, and an imam recites prayers for the dead. The person is then transported to their final resting place accompanied by a funeral procession, which typically consists of only male members of the community, although women and children are sometimes permitted to attend. 

You can read more about the death and mourning practices of Muslims in the articles below. 

An Imam Provides a Close-Up View of Muslim Funeral Rites and Traditions

In the Muslim Community, Grief Is Usally Expressed Quietly, with Tears and Silent Prayer

During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Muslims Adapt Funerals and Mourning Rituals to Accommodate the Fast

Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, with customs and traditions that date back about 5,000 years. It is the third largest religion by number of adherents — about 1.35 billion as of 2021. The vast majority of Hindus live in India, followed by Nepal and Bangladesh. Due to a relatively large number of Indian immigrants arriving in North America in recent years, the U.S. and Canada are currently home to about 3 million adherents of the Hindu faith as well.

Hinduism is generally viewed as a pantheistic religion whose basic tenets include the belief that “god” is the universe and all things in the universe are “god.” Adherents believe in the existence of one supreme being, but also allow the existence of other lesser gods. Somewhat similar to the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity, Hindus believe in a Supreme entity who takes on different forms and roles. The three main forms are Brahma; the creator, Vishnu, the sustainer and Shiva, the destroyer. 

For many Hindus, Hinduism is considered a way of life based on a set of guiding principles rather than a religion based on strict doctrine or laws. The essence of these guiding principles is encompassed in the four puruṣārthas, or proper goals for a human life, which include:

• Dharma (ethics and morality)
• Artha (prosperity, living an easeful life)
• Kama (desires, pleasures and passions)
• Moksha (emancipation, self-realization, and the liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.

Although there are numerous Hindu sects, each of which views these principles somewhat differently, the core belief held by most is that practicing the first three purusharthas allows the soul to eventually reach moksha, or unification with Brahma and freedom from mortal suffering. 

Hindu Death Practices and Beliefs

Unlike the Abrahamic religions, Hinduism holds that the body has no inherent spiritual value; it is merely a receptacle for the immortal soul. Adherents believe in reincarnation — the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in which a single soul transmigrates from one body to another after death. This cycle continues indefinitely as the soul progresses through a series of lives with the ultimate goal of attaining “ “mukti,” which loosely translates to enlightenment, liberation or release. This process isn’t linear, however. A soul may be elevated to a higher plane in one incarnation only to face more suffering in the next. The quality of karma, or the spiritual energy generated by a person’s actions, determines where in the continuum the soul arrives.

Because Hindus view the body as a “prison” that holds the soul captive in life, they practice cremation as a means of, at least temporarily, releasing the soul from suffering. In India, cremations are typically held in open-air ghats along the Ganges River, a Hindu holy site. In the U.S. however, the law requires that cremations be performed in a crematorium. 

Read more about the death practices of Hindus in the articles below. 

In Kathmandu in Nepal, Hindus Gather Along the Bagmati River to Cremate and Mourn Their Dead

Like Many Religious Adherents, Hindus Practice Rituals to Ward Off Misfortune for the Living and the Dead

Hindu Death Rituals Reflect the Principle of Reverence for the Soul Both in Life and After Death

For Many Hindus, Sharing Food is a Way of Guiding the Souls of Those Who Have Died Into the Afterlife

For Adherents of Hinduism, Bathing a Loved One Who Has Died in a River Is a Holy Rite

The world’s fourth largest religion, Buddhism is practiced by about 535 million people, or about 8-10% of the world population. Its adherents are concentrated almost entirely in Asia, with Thailand and Cambodia boasting the highest proportion of Buddhists by population at about 95%. China, while not a predominantly Buddhist country, has the largest number of Buddhists in the world — about 244 million.

Like Hinduism, Buddhism is often viewed as a set of guiding principles rather than a religion per se. It originated in India sometime between the 4th and 6th centuries BCE and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). In a very general sense, Buddhism is founded on Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, which are:

• All humans suffer
• The cause of suffering is desire ( for power, possessions, control etc.)
• Desire can be overcome
• The path to overcome desire exists

The Buddha outlined the path to overcoming desire as the Noble Eightfold Path. It includes: right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right concentration, and right ecstasy. He also taught the concept of anatman or “non-self”– the understanding that all things, including what we view as “self,” are impermanent, and that the suffering wrought by desire is the result of clinging to what is. Thus, letting go of desire and embracing nonattachment is the key to reaching the final goal of enlightenment (nirvana).  

In a more modern form of Buddhism known as the Mahayana tradition, less focus is placed on individual enlightenment and more on the practice of compassion and inclusiveness for the betterment of all humanity. Other traditions, such as Zen Buddhism, encourage self-actualization through meditation with the goal of finding the Buddha within oneself. 

Buddhist Beliefs Around Death

As mentioned above, the cycle of death and rebirth is central to the Buddhist belief system although it differs from the concept of reincarnation that characterizes the Hindu faith. Buddhists, like Hindus, believe that humans achieve a state of enlightenment (nirvana) only after passing through many “lives.” But since Buddhists believe that there is no separate “self” these lives are seen not as a rebirth of an individual but as movement through various realms of existence. These realms are known collectively as “samsara,” a Sanskrit word that translates literally to “passing through,” but which many Buddhist philosophers describe as the suffering we create through attachment and desire. Once a person achieves freedom from samsara, they reach nirvana, and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth ends. 

Read more about Buddhist beliefs and practices around death in the articles below. 

How Do Zen Buddhists Reconcile the Concept of Non-Self and Reincarnation? 

The Buddhist Belief in Reincarnation As an Affirmation of Infinite Consciousness

Some Buddhists Practice Corpse Meditation to Appreciate the Transitory Nature of Life

In Buddhism, the Self Is an Illusion, and So Death Is Not the End 

In Japan, Buddhists Honor Their Ancestors at a Three-Day Festival Held Every Year

Traditional Buddhist Funerals Are Colorful Affairs Marked by Chanting and Prayers

For a Brief Time in the 1800s, A Handful of Buddhist Monks Attempted to Mummify Themselves to Achieve Enlightenment

Judaism, the religion practiced by people of the Jewish faith, is the world’s fifth largest religion, with about 15 million adherents (about 0.18% of the world’s population). The largest number of Jews today live in one of two countries — Israel, with about 6.9 million, and the United States, with about 5.8 million. Canada and France are home to about 400,000 and 450,000 Jews respectively. 

The oldest of the monotheistic religions, Judaism has been in existence for about 4,000 years. It’s core belief system is based on the teachings found in the Tanakh or “Hebrew Bible;” its origins are explained in the first book of the Tanakh, the Torah. Jews believe in a single, almighty God, who has communicated with them through the ages through a series of prophets, beginning with the prophet Abraham. Unlike Christians, who believe Jesus was the Messiah (savior) sent by God to redeem mankind, most people of the Jewish faith believe that the Messiah has not yet arrived. 

According to the Torah, God first revealed himself to the prophet Abraham and made a promise to him (the covenant between the parts) that he would one day be the leader of  “all the land from the deserts of Egypt to the Euphrates,” which later came to be known as the Promised Land. After this revelation, however, the descendents of Abraham were enslaved by the Egyptians for hundreds of years. 

It was nearly 1,000 years after Abraham that God revealed himself again, this time to Moses. A Hebrew man raised by Egyptian royalty, Moses was instructed by God to lead the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and across the Red Sea. They landed on  Mount Sanai, where God revealed himself again and handed down the Ten Commandments. 

Today, the Jewish faith is characterized by two rather distinct groups, Orthodox Jews and Reform Jews. The two differ primarily in their approach to the Torah. According to Rabbi George Stern, Orthodox Jews view the Torah as the literal word of God, which cannot be changed or even interpreted, but only understood. This understanding has been passed down by prophets, rabbis and other holy men as “halachah,” or God’s law (literally,”God’s way”). Thus, Orthodox Jews believe there is only one “authentic” way to practice the Jewish faith and adhere strictly to the Torah’s teachings, even today.

Reform Jews, on the other hand, believe in a more nuanced approach to the Torah and its teachings. They view the Torah as a “God-inspired attempt by Hebrews/Israelites/Jews to understand their surroundings and relationship with God” rather than a set of immutable laws. They also recognize that interpretation of the Torah relies at least in part on geography and culture, and that there is room for individuals to have a more personal understanding of what it means. 

Jewish Beliefs and Traditions Around Death

The Jewish religion is steeped in history, and its traditions around death are varied and rich. Most Jews believe in an afterlife in which the souls of the dead go to a specific place, denoted as Sheol (the underworld) in the Bible, but also known by a number of other names, including the “yeshiva shel mallah” (the school on high) and “shamayim,” which means skies. Although morality plays a large part in the Jewish faith, Jews do not believe in Hell or divine retribution as it is perceived in Christianity and Islam. The closest approximation of Hell in the Jewish religion, which is reserved for those who renounce God, is “to be cut off from one’s kin.” 

The Jewish faith teaches that all people are created in the image of God, and should be treated with respect in both life and death. For this reason, the dying and the dead are handled with utmost care. In the Orthodox tradition, this includes a prescribed set of rituals including prayers at the bedside and the ritual cleansing and shrouding of the body after death — a rite known as “ tahara.” 

In traditional Judaism, burial is the only acceptable form of final disposition, so cremation is rare for those of the Jewish faith (although acceptance of the practice is growing among Reform Jews.) Jews are traditionally buried as soon as possible after death (preferably within 24 hours) and are not embalmed. Mourning rituals also follow a predictable path, starting with the seven-day mourning period known as “shiva” followed by an additional 30 days of mourning known as “shloshim.” The children of a person who died also commemorate one year anniversary of the death. 

Read more about Jewish practices around death and mourning in the articles below.  

Many Jews Pass on Their Wisdom and Beliefs Through the Tradition of Ethical Wills

Shiva, the Seven-Day Mourning Period Immediately After a Death, Helps Jewish Families Cope with Loss

A Jewish Parable Asks Us to Consider How Our Lives Will Be Judged When We Die.

Some Modern Reform Jews Are Adopting Traditional Orthodox Burial Rites 

Although It Is No Longer Widely Practiced, Taharah Is a Beautiful Jewish Ritual Worth Revisiting Today

The Symbolism of Stones Is A Large Part of Jewish Views About God and Death

For Jewsih Families, Yahrzeit Candles Are Part of An Annual Ritual to Remember A Loved One Who Has Died

We live in an increasingly secular society in which a growing proportion of people adhere to no religion and/or do not believe in God. According to the Pew Research Center, the “religiously unaffiliated,” which includes convinced atheists, agnostics, and those who hold spiritual but nontheistic beliefs (for example, pagans), are the second largest religious group in North America, much of Europe, and parts of Asia. In the U.S., about one in three adults currently ascribes to no religion, while only a very small minority (3% and 5% respectively) are convinced atheists or avowed agnostics (those who neither believe nor disbelieve in God.) Globally, the highest number of atheists and agnostics in the world is in China, where about 52% of over 1.4 billion are irreligious.

People who claim no religious affiliation come from many different cultures and different parts of the world. Therefore, it’s impossible to accurately characterize their beliefs and rituals about death as a single group. In most cases, religiously non-affiliated people identify with a specific culture and view death and mourning as do others in the society in which they live. 

Read more about some of the practices of the religiously unaffiliated in the articles below. 

As The Number Of Religiously Unaffiliated Grows, Funerals Are Becoming More Personal And Flexible

In Pagan Cultures, the Yew Tree Is Viewed as a Symbol of Death 

In Wiccan Culture, Reverence for the Earth Carries Through to Funeral Rites

Ancestor Worship and Reverence for Nature Are Part of Wiccan Culture

A minor religion with about 4.2 million adherents who mostly reside in India, Jainism is a nontheistic belief system that closely mirrors the Hindu faith. Jains do not believe in God, but instead base their moral code on a set of three guiding principles or “three jewels”: right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. The most important of these is non-violence (ahimsa). Jains believe that all life is sacred and all living things, including plants and animals, have souls. They are strict vegetarians and believe that life should be lived in ways that conserve the world’s resources. Other tenets of Jainism (known as vows) include no possessions, (non attachment), no lying, no stealing, and chastity (including celibacy for monks and nuns).

Jainism as it is practiced today was founded by Mahavira, an Indian prince born as Vardhamana who lived around 599 to 527 BCE. Much like the Buddha, Vardhamana left his home at the age of 30 to seek answers to the world’s suffering. Over the next 12 years, he lived an ascetic existence of physical deprivation and intense meditation before finally achieving enlightenment (Kevalnyan.) He then began teaching his form of Jainism to his followers, who gave him the name Mahavira (from “maha,” meaning “great,” and “vira,” meaning hero). The texts that contain his teaching are the basis of the Jainist belief system and are known as Agamas. 

Like those of the Hindu faith, Jains believe in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth known as reincarnation. Those who die may come back as plant, animal or a human depending on the karma they created during their lives. When all karma is released, they enter a state of enlightenment and are liberated from the cycle of rebirth. 

Learn more about the Jains approach to death and the afterlife in the articles below. 

Adherents of Jainism Sometimes Practice Ritual Starvation to Achieve Enlightenment at the End of Life

People throughout the world have for centuries followed traditions and rituals around death, mourning and remembrance. Many of these are quite similar: ritual washing of the body; a period of visitation in which friends and family come together to grieve, and earth burial or cremation are common to many cultures and many religions across the globe. At the same time, some cultures adhere to rites and rituals that many of us might view as odd or even grisly Whether dictated by tradition, superstition, or simple geography, they are outside the mainstream, yet quite “normal” for the people who practice them. 

One thing that all of these beliefs and traditions have in common, however, is that they provide substance to an experience that nobody living can understand. Death is and always has been a mystery, and much of what we believe about the soul and the afterlife is a matter of faith. Rites and rituals help us put the unknowable into human terms. They give us something to hold on to when someone we love dies. Whether that’s belief in an afterlife or a ritual that releases the soul into a new realm, our cultural and religious beliefs around death provide structure, comfort and a container for grief. And as long as death is part of life, we will find them everywhere we look.