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Department of Theology and Religion
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Durham professor honoured for pioneering contributions to death studies

5 September 2025
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Douglas Davies sitting outside wearing a nave blazer and red shirt

Professor Douglas Davies, one of the world’s leading scholars in the field of death studies, has been recognised with a prestigious lifetime achievement award from the Association for the Study of Death and Society (ASDS).

The honour celebrates a career spanning more than five decades, during which Professor Davies has shaped academic, professional and public understanding of how societies respond to death.  

His work bridges anthropology, sociology, and theology, and explores topics ranging from funeral practices and cremation to grief, mourning, and ecological approaches to the end of life. 

Pioneering work 

Professor Davies has been at the forefront of developing death studies as a discipline.  

He helped establish the influential Death, Dying and Disposal conference, the journal Mortality and founded our Centre for Death and Life Studies, which attracts scholars globally.  

Professor Davies’ research has led to landmark publications, including the widely translated textbook Death, Ritual and Belief, the Encyclopaedia of Cremation, and the acclaimed Mors Britannica: Lifestyle & Death-Style in Britain Today. 

One of his biggest editorial undertakings was as the editorial lead for the six-volume collection, A Cultural History of Death, which brings together global perspectives on death spanning 2,500 years. 

Professor Davies is also an internationally recognised authority on Mormonism. 

Real world application 

Beyond academia, Professor Davies has worked closely with funeral directors, cremation societies and policymakers.  

He was instrumental in bringing the British Cremation Society archives to Durham, creating the world’s largest collection on the history of cremation.  

His research has informed parliamentary committees and shaped national debates on burial, cremation and emerging technologies such as alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation). 

Reflecting on receiving the Lifetime Achievement award, Professor Davies said: “It was a wonderful surprise.  

“I’ve been fortunate to work with brilliant colleagues and students, and to see death studies grow from a small, niche area into a vibrant, international field.  

“This award feels less about me personally and more about recognising the value of this work for understanding one of the most universal human experiences.”

What is unique about Douglas is that despite his countless works which have deeply influenced scholarly thinking within the field, more often than not, it is a conversation or engagement with him that sticks with Death Studies scholars: his kindness and encouraging nature are second-to-none. Nevertheless, the significant impact that his countless works have had – both academically and practically, with his work impacting policy changes and the funeral sector itself – must not be understated.
Dr Georgina Robinson
Secretary of the Association for the Study of Death and Society

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