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Religious Views on Death and Dying

Faith · 4 min read · First published 2004 · Updated November 2026

Rows of candles glowing in front of a church at night
Photo by Caleb Hernandez Belmonte on Unsplash

An Overview of World Beliefs

Much of what we think and feel about death comes from our faith and the way we were raised. Whether or not we believe in God or gods shapes how we picture what comes after, or whether we believe anything does. Our religious outlook can ease our fear of death, deepen it, or sit alongside it in ways that are hard to put into words. A person who was taught to see God as a harsh judge may find death frightening. A person who was taught that God is loving and merciful may find more peace. Many people hold both at different times, and that is normal.

Religions also differ from one another on what happens after death, and often within the same religion. Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Protestants share a faith in Jesus but describe the afterlife in different ways. Buddhists in Thailand, Tibet and Japan follow different traditions with different teachings. Even within one family or congregation, you will find people who believe quite different things. If you are sitting with someone who is dying, or grieving someone who has died, it helps to ask what they believed and what comforts them.

Around the world, according to the Pew Research Center, about 29% of people were Christian in 2020, about 26% Muslim, about 15% Hindu, about 4% Buddhist, and about 24% had no religious affiliation. Jewish people made up about 0.2% of the world's population. The rest follow Sikhism, Indigenous and folk religions, and many other traditions.

Here is a short look at some of these traditions. Each one deserves more than a paragraph, and each has many voices within it.

Buddhism. Buddhists teach that life, death and rebirth form a continuing cycle, shaped by karma (the effects of our actions), and that the goal is freedom from that cycle, known as nirvana. Traditions differ on the details. Read more: Buddhist Beliefs on Death and the Afterlife

Christianity. Most Christians believe in resurrection and eternal life through Jesus, and that each person will be judged. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches differ on how salvation works and on what hell and purgatory mean. Read more: Christian Beliefs in the Afterlife

Judaism. Jewish teachings about the afterlife are varied and often take second place to how we live now. Many sources speak of a "world to come" (olam ha-ba), and some describe a period of purification after death rather than endless punishment. Jewish mourning customs, such as sitting shiva, are often better known than afterlife beliefs. future page, Jewish beliefs and mourning customs

Islam. Muslims believe this life prepares us for the next. After death a person waits in an in-between state (barzakh) until the Day of Judgment, when all are raised and judged, and the righteous enter paradise (jannah). future page, Muslim beliefs and burial customs

Hinduism. Many Hindu traditions teach that the soul (atman) is reborn many times, shaped by karma, until it is freed (moksha). Hinduism is very diverse, and families and regions follow different customs and beliefs. future page, Hindu beliefs and funeral customs

Sikhism. Sikhs see birth and death as part of one continuing cycle, and the goal is union with God. Death is accepted as God's will, and Sikh funerals focus on prayer and hymns rather than loud mourning. future page, Sikh beliefs and funeral customs

Indigenous and traditional spiritualities. There is no single Indigenous view of death. Hundreds of Native nations and many other peoples around the world hold their own beliefs, and many include a deep bond with ancestors, family and the land. If you are writing about a specific nation or people, it is kindest to name them and, wherever possible, let them speak for themselves. future page, Indigenous and traditional beliefs

Learning about how other people face death can be comforting, and it can help you understand your own beliefs better. You can explore each tradition in our Religion and Spirituality section.

Sources

Written by Words to Comfort

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