Making Sense of Death: Spiritual, Pastoral, and Personal Aspects of Death, Dying, and Bereavement
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This anthology explores the process of meaning-making in the face of death and the roles of religion and spirituality at times of loss; the profound and devastating experience of loss in the death of a spouse or a child; a psychological model of spirituality; the dimensions of spirituality; humor in client-caregiver relationships; the worldview of modernity in contrast to postmodern assumptions; the Buddhist perspective on death, dying, and pastoral care; meaning-making in the virtual reality of cyberspace; individualism and death; the historical context of Native Americans, the concept of disenfrancished grief, and its detailed application to the Native American experience; a qualitative survey on the impact of shooting death of students in Colorado; a team approach with physicians, nursing, social services, and pastoral care; a study of health care professionals, comparing clergy with other health professionals; marginality in spiritual and pastoral care for the dying; a qualitative research study of registered nurses in the northeast United States; and loss and growth in the seasons of life. Doody Review Services Reviewer:Becky Stepp, BBA, MEd, BS, M, LMSW(Seton Medical Center)Description:Life is a journey, and along the way, all of us face losses. Death can occur in an instant or over a period of time. In both circumstances, those who remain behind attempt to find meaning for themselves. Making sense out of death seems to mean making sense out of suffering, making sense out of the loss of life, and making sense out of life. This book explores this creative process in deriving meaning through religion and spirituality.Purpose:The editors of this book, part of the Death, Value and Meaning series, provide a philosophical discussion of meaning-making in the face of death. As the interest in the topic of death, dying, and bereavement continues to increase, these authors offer this book in an effort to meet the needs of many professional practitioners and academics, and ultimately, through them, those who must face the issues of spirituality as it relates to dying, death, and bereavement. Audience:The discussion of death and dying can be emotionally charged. The authors state professional practitioners and academics as the audience. At times, the vocabulary used in this book is highly philosophical as well as potentially offensive. Features:In an attempt to provide multicultural sensitivity, the authors' discussion includes a somewhat random selection of topics ranging from the teachings of Buddha, the roles of religion and spirituality, devastating losses and national tragedy, and the historical context of Native Americans, to virtual reality of cyberspace, extraordinary death and loss and national tragedy, and interdisciplinary team approaches in the healthcare setting. Ultimately, this book lacks the cohesiveness that could help "make sense" of this topic.Assessment:This book presents a philosophic approach with language and vocabulary that some may find offensive in regard to pastoral care and spirituality. The authors' discussion seems random, disjointed, and incongruent, lacking the cohesiveness that could better "make sense" of this endless pursuit of making sense in the face of death.
AcknowledgmentsPrefaceIntroduction1Ch. 1The Role of Spiritual Experience in Adapting to Bereavement13Ch. 2The Death of a Spouse: A Spiritual and Psychological Crisis29Ch. 3For Those Who Stand and Wait45Ch. 4A Taste of Heaven Here on Earth: For the Dying and for the Accompanier55Ch. 5Death, Humor, and Spirituality: Strange Bedfellows?73Ch. 6Death and the Postmodern Self: Individualism, Religion, and the Transformation of the Modern Self85Ch. 7The Healing Touch of Awareness: A Buddhist Perspective on Death, Dying, and Pastoral Care101Ch. 8Cyber Cemeteries and Virtual Memorials: Virtual Living Monuments as On-line Outlets for Real Life Mourning and a Celebration of Life113Ch. 9Violence is the Dark Side of Spirituality127Ch. 10Native American Grief and Loss: Conceptualizations of Disenfranchised Grief and Historical Trauma at Individual and Community Levels137Ch. 11In the Aftermath of Columbine: Tragedy as Opportunity for Transformation151Ch. 12When a Patient Dies: Meeting Spiritual Needs of the Bereaved in a Health Care Setting163Ch. 13An Exploratory Study of the Spirituality of Clergy as Compared with Health Care Professionals173Ch. 14Living, Dying, and Grieving in the Margins191Ch. 15Spirituality in Nursing: Being in a Liminal Space207Ch. 16Spirituality and Loss221Contributors213Index237
