What happens when we die?That has been the question that humans have asked perhaps from the dawn of time. We all would love to know what happens once life is over. Is there an afterlife? Does it involve clouds and angels? Do I get to meet God? Fair questions that we all ask as we journey through life.
In Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives David Eagleman attempts to answer, sometimes with great humor, the big question of what happens after death. Drawing from several understandings of the afterlife, Eagleman creates a theological platform for his readers to jump into the mystery of what happens after death.
As our July discussion book this collection of parables will elicit a number of different reactions. Each tale is about two pages long and will tickle your imagination in such a way that you'll fall into temptation: the temptation to read all the tales in one sitting. But I recommend that you read each one slowly, taking no more than two a day, which will give you a chance to appreciate and digest each tale. My hope is that we will have a lively discussion after reading this book.
So to spark our discussion here are some questions to ponder and respond to as you make your way through the book:
- Which afterlife was your favorite?
- If you could create an afterlife what would it be?
- Do you think we shouldn't diverge from the "authorized" understanding of the afterlife? (Heaven with angels and St. Peter etc.)
- Do you think some of the tales would offend? Which ones?
- What did you like most about the tales? What did you like the least?
- If you could sum-up Sum in two sentences or less what would they be?
- Would you recommend Sum to a friend?
