Larsé gathers and analyzes a multitude of biblical and patristic texts, offering a comprehensive view of how the Orthodox Church perceives the transition from this life to the eternal one. The main points examined include:
The nature of death: The theological approach to death not as a natural event, but as a consequence of the Fall, and its spiritual significance.
The separation of soul and body: What happens in the first moments and days after repose.
The "Toll Houses" (Aerial Toll Houses): The examination of the teaching about the soul's trial during its ascent to God (from the 3rd to the 9th day).
The Particular Judgment: The state of the soul on the 40th day and its entrance into the "other world".
The Intermediate State: The period of waiting of souls from the particular judgment until the Final Judgment (Second Coming).
Refutation of Purgatory: The author presents the Orthodox arguments that differ from the Roman Catholic teaching on "purgatorial fire".
Relationship between the living and the departed: The importance of prayers, memorial services, and the Divine Liturgy for the repose of souls.
Resurrection and Final Judgment: The expectation of the common resurrection of the bodies and the eternal state in the Kingdom of Heaven or in Hell.