Making Sense of Death (PDF)

The editors of "Making Sense of Death: Spiritual, Pastoral, and Personal Aspects of Death, Dying and Bereavement" provide stimulating discussions as they ponder the meaning of life and death.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 of death, dying, and pastoral care; meaning-making in the virtual reality of cyberspace; individualism and death; and the historical context of Native Americans, the concept of disenfranchised grief, and its detailed application to the Native American experience.It also explores: a qualitative survey on the impact of the shooting deaths 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.