RECOVERING OUR LOST SAINTS
A CURRENT THEORY OF LOSS AND ITS CHRISTIAN EXPRESSION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v7i2.28Keywords:
death and bereavementAbstract
While faith and a spiritual perspective offer hope and reassurance in bereavement, not all Christians find that their faith gives them the framework they need in their loss and for some it may serve to slow down or disrupt the grief process. However, taking current grief theories, and applying them to a realistic theology, and in particular the concept of the communion of saints, has the potential to allow the Christian to grieve in a healthy way while continuing to hold to principles and beliefs informed by their faith.
References
BROWNING, E B ‘How do I love thee?’ in LOOKER, S J 1948 ‘Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning’. The Grey Walls Press, London
CLARKE, D., 2004 ‘Religion and Spirituality: Faith and Hope’, Australasian Psychiatry, Vol 11(2), pp164-168
DAVIDSON, R, ‘Towards a theology of suffering’, unpublished lecture, Marie Curie Cancer Care, March 2004
DOMBECK, M., 2002, ‘Chaos and self-organisation as a consequence of spiritual disequilibrium’ Clinical Nurse Specialist, Vol 16(1), January 2002, pp4247
GORDON, T. 2000 ‘Reflections on religious dogmatism in the care of dying and bereaved people’ Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy, Vol 3 No 2. pp19-22
GORDON, T. 2001 ‘A need for living’ Wild Goose Publications, Glasgow
HYMN 367 For the Beauty of the earth Church Hymnary Third Edition (1973), Oxford University Press
KLASS, D., SILVERMAN, P.R., NICKMAN, S. (Eds) 1996 ‘Continuing Bonds: New understandings of grief’ Taylor & Francis Inc,
PERRY, B., FRANKEL, G. 1998 ‘The relationship between faith and well-being’ Journal of Religion & Health, 37(2), pp125-136
PREAD, S. May 2003 ‘Loss and bereavement: a nursing response’ Nursing Standard, 16(37), pp4755
SCOTT-HOLLAND, H ‘Death is nothing at all….’ In WHITAKER, A 1984 ‘All in the End is Harvest’ DLT, London.
WALSH K., KING M., JONES, L., TOOKMAN A. & BLIZARD, R. June 2002 ‘Spiritual beliefs may affect outcome of bereavement: prospective study’ British Medical Journal, 324(7353), pp1551ff
WALTERS, G. 1997 ‘Why do Christians find it hard to grieve?’ Paternoster Press, Carlisle
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH, Approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1647, ‘The catholick (sic) or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof.’ Chap. XXV ‘Of the Church’; ‘All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection and glory.’ Chap. XXVI ‘Of Communion of Saints’.
WORDEN,W 2002 ‘Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy. A handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner’ Third Edition. Springer Publishing Company, New York.
CLARKE, D., 2004 ‘Religion and Spirituality: Faith and Hope’, Australasian Psychiatry, Vol 11(2), pp164-168
DAVIDSON, R, ‘Towards a theology of suffering’, unpublished lecture, Marie Curie Cancer Care, March 2004
DOMBECK, M., 2002, ‘Chaos and self-organisation as a consequence of spiritual disequilibrium’ Clinical Nurse Specialist, Vol 16(1), January 2002, pp4247
GORDON, T. 2000 ‘Reflections on religious dogmatism in the care of dying and bereaved people’ Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy, Vol 3 No 2. pp19-22
GORDON, T. 2001 ‘A need for living’ Wild Goose Publications, Glasgow
HYMN 367 For the Beauty of the earth Church Hymnary Third Edition (1973), Oxford University Press
KLASS, D., SILVERMAN, P.R., NICKMAN, S. (Eds) 1996 ‘Continuing Bonds: New understandings of grief’ Taylor & Francis Inc,
PERRY, B., FRANKEL, G. 1998 ‘The relationship between faith and well-being’ Journal of Religion & Health, 37(2), pp125-136
PREAD, S. May 2003 ‘Loss and bereavement: a nursing response’ Nursing Standard, 16(37), pp4755
SCOTT-HOLLAND, H ‘Death is nothing at all….’ In WHITAKER, A 1984 ‘All in the End is Harvest’ DLT, London.
WALSH K., KING M., JONES, L., TOOKMAN A. & BLIZARD, R. June 2002 ‘Spiritual beliefs may affect outcome of bereavement: prospective study’ British Medical Journal, 324(7353), pp1551ff
WALTERS, G. 1997 ‘Why do Christians find it hard to grieve?’ Paternoster Press, Carlisle
WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH, Approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1647, ‘The catholick (sic) or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof.’ Chap. XXV ‘Of the Church’; ‘All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection and glory.’ Chap. XXVI ‘Of Communion of Saints’.
WORDEN,W 2002 ‘Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy. A handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner’ Third Edition. Springer Publishing Company, New York.
Published
2013-04-10
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Gordon, T. (2013). RECOVERING OUR LOST SAINTS: A CURRENT THEORY OF LOSS AND ITS CHRISTIAN EXPRESSION. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 7(2), 28-33. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v7i2.28
