An important examination of the theological, spiritual, and ethical issues surrounding death.
At the end of a life of faithfulness comes our dying. To approach it as faithfully as we have our living calls for some serious forethought. Because one of the simplest facts of life-that we all die-seems like the most complicated thing we do.
Not only have advances in
medical technology saved lives, but they also have prolonged death, and raise a
number ethical, moral, social, and theological issues. How far should we go to
sustain life? Is it right to withdraw artificial feeding from the dying? Is it
wrong to end the lives of those in pain? No matter who we are, dealing with
these sorts of choices near the end of life is difficult to do on our own.Faithful Living, Faithful
Dying: Anglican Reflections on End of Life Care brings together the wisdom of a
task force created by the 72nd General Convention of the Episcopal Church to
study what faithful living and faithful dying mean today. The task force's
reflections, published for the first time in this book, assist individuals,
congregations, and the Church as a whole to disentangle the thicket of ethical,
theological, pastoral, and policy concerns.
Deckhead: An important examination of the theological, spiritual and ethical issues surrounding death.
What do faithful living and faithful dying mean as we near life's end? With all the technology and choices available to us today, making decisions about the end of life grows ever more difficult. As a result of all the theological and ethical issues that have arisen around the dying process in recent years, the 72nd General Convention of the Episcopal Church created a task force to study and report on these concerns. This is the report of the End-of-Life Task Force. In it, the Task Force responds to the broad range of theological, ethical, pastoral and policy issues that are generated by the need to provide loving and fitting care at the end of life.
Intended as a teaching document, Faithful Living, Faithful Dying will be useful as a discussion tool for the church, for individuals facing difficult decisions, for professionals, such as clergy and health care providers, and for those who make public policy.
