This book sheds light on important subjects to believers. The author, who teaches world religions and philosophy of religion at Smith College, uses the three hours of the Great Office (Lauds, Vespers, and Compline) as a framework for her defense of "the right to imagine a state of blessedness after death." She believes that our lives are enriched and deepened by imagining an afterlife. She affirms both the insights and the spiritual transformations of those who have undergone near-death experiences. Zaleski also is encouraged by the buoyant hope of Christians who believe in an afterlife based on God's love. The Life of the World to Come presents a soulful treatment of the mysteries of death and eternal life.