Summary Of Religion And Devotion In Europe By Richard Swanson

In our society, the pilgrimage of life and death are not subjects commonly discussed outside of religious settings. In Religion and Devotion in Europe, c.1215-c.1515, by Swanson the author did a good job depicting the “pilgrimage of life and death” in several ways. Even though the author does not believe the human experience should be labeled as a pilgrimage he made some valid points. In chapter six of his book, Swanson focuses on information pertaining to the transition of this life into the next. More specifically, Swanson places a heavy concentration on hell and the religious aspects of devotion associated with it. The allegory of pilgrimage was used to exemplify the level of importance people of this time period placed on death and
the afterlife. The overall goal and objective of the office of the dead was to highlight the traditions and rituals outlined in the Book of the Dead dealing with an individual’s wellbeing after death.
Swanson, in chapter six of his book made the correlation of life and death by explaining the necessity for the living to pray for the dead and the relationship between the two. The dead needed the living to pray for them to ensure an easy progression in the afterlife. In addition, the living needed to pray for the dead as a part of their own salvation. I think the Book of Hours provides a good example of the pilgrimage of life and death because the Book of Hours emphasis the relationships between human beings and God, repentance, and sin. Additionally, topics like death and the afterlife are covered in the Book of Hours which indicate the progression of life and death.