Get Free Shipping on orders over $0
Purified by Fire : A History of Cremation in America - Stephen Prothero

Purified by Fire

A History of Cremation in America

By: Stephen Prothero

Paperback | 15 November 2002 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback


$59.40

or 4 interest-free payments of $14.85 with

 or 

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

Just one hundred years ago, Americans almost universally condemned cremation. Today, nearly one-quarter of Americans choose to be cremated. The practice has gained wide acceptance as a funeral rite, in both our private and public lives, as the cremations of icons such as John Lennon and John F. Kennedy Jr. show. Purified by Fire tells the fascinating story of cremation's rise from notoriety to legitimacy and takes a provocative new look at important transformations in the American cultural landscape over the last 150 years.

Stephen Prothero synthesizes a wide array of previously untapped source material, including newspapers, consumer guides, mortician trade journals, and popular magazines such as Reader's Digest to provide this first historical study of cremation in the United States. He vividly describes many noteworthy events-from the much-criticized first American cremation in 1876 to the death and cremation of Jerry Garcia in the late twentieth century. From the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era to the baby boomers of today, this book takes us on a tour through American culture and traces our changing attitudes toward death, religion, public health, the body, and the environment.
Industry Reviews
"A well-executed study of a neglected topic."-Publishers Weekly "[An] outstanding work. Some of the more interesting sections consider the interplay of cremation and public health and the centrality of the immortality of the soul to cremationists."-Library Journal "Offers an engrossing look at a largely ignored subject. While it's an academic approach, Prothero's style is energetic and lively. As a historian, he is thorough and conscientious. As a writer, he spins a good yarn. Which seems like the right way to treat this deathly subject."-Christian Science Monitor "[A] religiously relevant study.... Purified by Fire, an historical account of cremation in three parts, reveals an unexpected buoyancy as Prothero pays ample attention to the wielding of metaphors and literary imagery by both cremationists and traditionalists."-Foreword "At once an exploration of the changing meaning of religious rituals, a witty piece of reporting on the machinations of the death industry, and a very serious piece of scholarship on the origins and popularization of a cultural practice.... A terrific read, highly recommended."-Choice

More in Religion & Beliefs

Coven : Where Witches Gather - Fiona Horne

RRP $39.99

$31.75

21%
OFF
The First Easter - Jess Racklyeft

RRP $24.99

$19.99

20%
OFF
The Ramadan Kitchen : Nourishing Recipes from Fast to Feast - Ilhan Mohamed Abdi
How to Feel : An Ancient Guide to Minding Our Emotions - The Buddha
The Book of Enoch - Enoch

$49.75

Heroes : The myths of the Ancient Greek heroes retold - Stephen Fry
Anam Cara : Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World - John O'Donohue
Aleister Crowley's Mysticism : A Practical Guide - Marco Visconti

RRP $55.00

$42.75

22%
OFF
Guided : The secret path to an illuminated life - Laura Lynne Jackson

RRP $34.99

$27.75

21%
OFF
NIV Gift And Award Bible Red Letter Edition : Black - Zondervan
NRSV Catholic Bible Gift Edition [Brown] : Holy Bible - Thomas Nelson

RRP $69.99

$51.75

26%
OFF
NRSV Catholic Bible Gift Edition [Teal] : Holy Bible - Thomas Nelson

RRP $69.99

$52.75

25%
OFF
NRSV Catholic Bible Gift Edition [White] : Holy Bible - Thomas Nelson

RRP $69.99

$52.75

25%
OFF
Dominion : Making of the Western Mind - Tom Holland

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
Radical Acceptance : Awakening the Love that Heals Fear and Shame - Tara Brach
2026 Lunar and Seasonal Diary : Southern Hemisphere - Stacey Demarco

RRP $32.99

$26.99

18%
OFF