the Immediate After: Belief and teachings on what happens to a soul at time of death, from Early Modern era Church

Testimonies of near-death experiences are becoming increasingly common in our day, and cause us to ponder more intently on the four last things. It should be of no surprise to adherents of the Christian faith that the details of typical NDE's correspond to the beliefs held by the early Jewish and Christian churches. The Immediate After examines what early Christians and Jews believed about what happens to the soul at the time of death, and also considers what mainstream churches (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox) of the modern era teach about the same. Included excerpts are drawn from the Scriptures and Deuterocanonical books, the early Church Fathers, various catechisms and works of these major traditions, quotes from prominent figures (e.g. Spurgeon, Wesley, Aquinas, Faustina, C.S. Lewis,...), early Jewish texts (e.g. 2nd Temple Era writings, Babylonian Talmud...), and also personal testimonies and reflections collected by the author, accented with photographs of sacred spaces visited in his travels.The Immediate After also presents classical doctrines on last rites, burial rituals, cremation, relics, intercessory prayers, purgatory / toll-houses, merits, apparitions, near-death experiences, and a complimentary exhibition of the Shroud of Turin.This work is intended to be a helpful contribution towards personal discernment and evaluation of Christian beliefs on these subjects.