Faithful Living, Faithful Dying

This book, put together by a panel is mighty dry reading - kinda like unbuttered popcorn. Alas, that's a common problem with a report or study put together by a committee, no evidence that any of the panelists has a flair for writing. As with the other reviewers to date, I feel the book provides much needed help on the issue of one's faith on facing and addressing death; especially death under trying circumstances--life support, hospice care. I'd have found it helpful if there'd been some discussion on coping with the death of youth or young children (grief issues are especially critical) and the matter of a child dying before elderly parents, again an especially hard grief issue and test of faith.

This book was excellent. It gives a great insight into the beliefs of the Anglican Faith regarding the End of Life Care, and what we, as Anglicans, can do. I knew before I read the book, that the Church allowed us to forgo Life Support Measures, and Extraordinary measures including refusing artificial Nutrition and Hydration. This book is a great resourch for any member of the Anglican Faith (Episcopal of Church of England, or member of the Anglican Community).

This is a really useful book for those who are approaching death and those who are critically ill and don't know what the outcome will be. I'm not Episcopalian, but felt really supported in terms of ethical and spiritual help when my father was dying and I read it.

When confronted by potentially controversial ethical issues, such as those surrounding death and dying, churches rarely distinguish themselves. There are a number of pitfalls. Knowing that they cannot please anyone, they may simply remain silent, abdicating their responsibility to provide moral guidance. Worse, they may make pious-sounding, but vague, pronouncemnts that address issues without actually saying anything. When take clear positions, they may have a hard time making a convincing connection to their own tradition. This work avoids all those pitfalls. The Episcopal Church's End of Life Task Force addresses issues such as assisted suicide clearly and concisely even as they respect the human anguish and moral ambiguities involved.

Although specifically Anglican in perspective, the early chapters offer an understanding of death and its place in human life--including theologically appropriate uses of medical treatment/resources--that will be of value to all Christians (and others interested in what religious traditions have to say). After discussions of mourning, the church's role, and social policy issues like access to health care and the importance of palliative care, the book provides several very helpful resources for use in local parishes. This book by a distinguished panel of clergy, ethicists, physicians, and attorneys (not to imply that any of those categories excludes any of the others!) can serve as a useful resource for all who want to make the end of life a more faithful experience, both for themselves and for others.