Brain death, organ transplantation and autopsy are discussed under both legal and medical aspects but they also raise numerous important ethical and religious questions. Problems include relationships with human death and the resulting divergent perception of personality, which may also include post-mortem aspects. Death itself and perspectives on how to deal with a dead human body are discussed against the background of religious argumentation. Nevertheless, relevant religious views are often poorly known, which may lead to difficulties, especially in the event of death. For example, conflicts may arise in the field of forensic medicine if religious concerns over legally ordered autopsies are raised. In that case, knowledge of the different positions may contribute to a better understanding between physicians and relatives of deceased persons. In a two-part publication, the different views of the various world religions on the assessment of brain death, organ transplantation and autopsy are presented. In the first part, the Jewish, Christian and Muslim perspectives are analyzed, especially from the theological point of view. In addition to the historical origins, dissemination and foundation of the particular religion, the religious guidelines and attitudes on topics such as brain death, organ donation and autopsy are explained on the basis of the "official" standards set by the religious communities and the literature.
