Gary Laderman is the Goodrich C. White Professor of American Religious History and Cultures, as well as the Chair of the Department of Religion at Emory University. He is also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Religious Studies here at UC Santa Barbara (Ph.D., 1992).
Among his many published works, Professor Laderman has written two books on the history of dying and funerals in the United States: The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799-1883 (1996) and Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America (2003). Taken together, Laderman’s work gives a fascinating account of how death in America has changed from private in-home rituals in the early-19th century to the well-established funeral business of today, by using everything from major historical events, popular culture, and the deaths of public figures to the personal experiences of those who grieve. Laderman is frequently called upon by the media, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, to comment about current and future trends in how Americans dispose of their dead.
Sponsored by the UCSB Department of Religious Studies
