Why do we die? Why will your life eventually come to an end, even without fatal injury or illness? As far as any of us stop to ponder this question, two alternative answers are common. Either we, and all living things, die because something has gone wrong since human life first came into being, or we die because all living things die in evolutionary and generational succession. The first of these answers is a widespread Christian one based on an understanding of the Fall. The second is the picture given by science. The Dawn of Death charts a course between these two answers as to why we die. It examines in depth the Bible passages and the science that lie behind them. The author draws a carefully considered conclusion and reflects on how this fits within Christian belief.

Simon Howard is a tutor in the BA program at a UK seminary. He is author of a distance-learning course on the relationship between science and Christian belief. He has graduate degrees in Biochemistry and Theology.