The Pastoral Role in Caring for the Dying and Bereaved: Pragmatic and Ecumenical (The Foundation of Thanatology Series)

The essays in this volume stress the legitimacy and importance of the role of administering comfort and reassurance to the terminally ill. This book is a practical guide for caring for the dying and those they leave behind, written especially for the clergy. The book is divided into three sections: an overview of the pastoral role; death and dying; and loss and grief. Among the topics covered are community resources, interdisciplinary care skills; education and research; working with health care professionals; loss as an experience in living; family issues in coping with change and loss resulting from surgery and chronic illness; and issues and strategies in managing anticipatory grief and bereavement.