There is simply no question that too often we lack the words necessary to speak to one another about dying and death...The essential story--the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ--that should form our dying as well as our living as Christians seems to have been lost...This is a book we have desperately needed. I hope it will become a book widely studied in congregations and seminaries. We must learn to speak of dying. This book appropriately helps us recover our voices as a people taught to speak by the one who died on a cross.
-Stanley Hauerwas
This book offers a depth of wisdom on a universal and universally avoided experience: the act of dying. Speaking of Dying combines practical, pastoral, and biblical reflection on the care of the dying and does so without 'spiritualizing' the terrible realities of that experience. Use this book in a congregational context, and it will open up conversations you never thought possible.
-Richard Lischer,
James T. and Alice Mead Cleland Professor of Preaching, Duke Divinity School
This book is written with a pastoral heart and a prophet's voice. It is wise in the ways of caring for the dying and passionate in its cry for the church to remember its own christological narrative and, by doing so, to restore care for the dying into its gospel of care.
-Thomas G. Long,
professor of preaching, Candler School of Theology, Emory University; author, Accompany Them with Singing: The Christian Funeral
This book is a wonderful contribution to restoring the sacred art of facing the end of life. It is a deep and reflective analysis of the culture of dying and the Christian experience of living and dying, and a valuable resource for theologians, health care professionals, and all who seek to honor the final chapter of life.
-Betty Ferrell,
research scientist and professor, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA
Christians often say they are not afraid of death--it's the process of dying that raises anxiety. Speaking of Dying lays a solid biblical and theological foundation connecting baptism and the Eucharist to their fulfillment in death, which aids our understanding of how dying 'in Christ' is counter to the cultural milieu of avoidance. The authors encourage pastors and congregational members to speak of their dying both to strengthen their faith and to receive support. This theological road map will most definitely enhance the reader's approach to a dying person.
-Susan J. Zonnebelt-Smeenge,
Calvin Theological Seminary
This is an essential book for any church leader, pastor, teacher, or active member. When so much is at stake, we cannot continue to fail practicing our dying faithfully.
-Rob Moll,
editor at large, Christianity Today
This book is theologically sound, pastorally insightful, grounded in Christ, and rooted in Scripture. Helpful tools and ways of giving voice to the dying and to their loved ones are provided for the church's ministry.
-Abigail Rian Evans,
Charlotte Newcombe Professor of Practical Theology emerita, Princeton Seminary