The Existential Dimension of Contemporary Church Religiosity. Catholics, Protestants, Jehovahs Witnesses and Hare Krishna Devotees in Relation to Death and Afterlife Existence
Abstract
The study focuses on inner religious experience, its existential dimension, the question of the conceptualization of death and afterlife existence across the spectrum of religious groups, both traditional (Catholic, Protestant) and the relatively new (Jehovahs Witnesses, devotees of Hare Krishna movement). Existential issues are obviously among the most important elements of religious doctrine and in the beliefs of religious people.
In this respect the author notes that while in the case of the newer religious groups these ideas are more often given explanations and within the groups framework are considerably more coherent, this is not the case among the large or traditional churches, where it is implicitly assumed that the standard explanations are shared by religious adherents, who in actuality themselves usually maintain quite heterodox, privatised views (a fact they are often aware of).