Purified by Fire

Stephen Prothero is Associate Professor of Religion at Boston University, coeditor of Asian Religions in America: A Documentary History (1998), author of The White Buddhist: The Asian Odyssey of Henry Steel Olcott (1997), and coauthor of The Encyclopedia of American Religious History (1996).

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPART ONE: BIRTH, 1874-18961. The Cremation of Baron De Palm2. Sanitary Reform3. Resurrection and the ResurrectionistsPART TWO: BRICKS AND MORTAR, 1896-19634. The Business of Cremation5. The Memorial IdeaPART THREE: BOOM, 1963-PRESENT6. Consumers' Last Rites7. Contemporary Ways of CremationTimelineAbbreviationsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

"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