RECOVERING OUR LOST SAINTS

A CURRENT THEORY OF LOSS AND ITS CHRISTIAN EXPRESSION

Authors

  • Tom Gordon Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v7i2.28

Keywords:

death and bereavement

Abstract

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.

Author Biography

  • Tom Gordon, Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh

    Tom Gordon is chaplain and co-facilitator of the bereavement service in the Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh.

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DAVIDSON, R, ‘Towards a theology of suffering’, unpublished lecture, Marie Curie Cancer Care, March 2004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.

Published

2013-04-10

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