Holy Dying - by Ellen Richardson (Paperback)

About the Book

Stories to open conversations of a safe space for exploring quesitons about dying

Book Synopsis

Human beings do not want to die; we spend infinite resources to sustain life, without regard to cost or quality. And yet we do die. Facing terminal illness and unprepared for death, we can feel abandoned by both secular and faith based institutions, whose focus on restoration can fall short of the wisdom and grace needed to embrace a holy death as a part of life. Ellen Richardson hopes to change things by offering stories from her work in hospice and palliative care, and the rich resources of the church's Scripture and tradition, to create safe space for exploring questions we carry about dying. Her book is intended for individual readers, and to be used in group, workshop, or retreat settings within the church, so that practices of prayer and healing can become once more a source of comfort and strength, not simply tools of defiance against illness and weakness. No amount of faith will buy immortality for earthly bodies, but death need not be a time of failure and isolation. Holy Dying helps us lay claim to our scriptural stories as hard teachers of our mortal heritage.

Review Quotes

"More than a collection of stories, Holy Dying guides us with vivid images and unforgettable personalities through questions about leaving this life which we all will ask sooner or later. Few lives combine the medical and pastoral disciplines of caregiving with which Ellen Richardson has approached those with whom she has walked, and this remarkable book gives us a unique look at the graceful moment a person's last days can be." --Barbara Crafton, author, The AlsoLife and Called

"Every priest knows that ministry at time of death is one of our greatest honors and responsibilities. As a seminary professor, I'm always looking for resources that my students can use during the tender time preceding death. Dr. Richardson's book provides a rich source of solidarity and wisdom for both ministers and the faithful as they consider the greatest mystery humans encounter--death itself." --Danielle Tumminio, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of Field Education, Seminary of the Southwest

"Ellen Richardson, priest and physician, has compiled a trove of her own stories about encounters with the dying, not all of which have happy outcomes. All her stories, however, leave room for grace and intimations of God's presence. She has provided a valuable resource for anyone facing death, whether in the next week or in the next decades, for those with deep faith and for those with none at all." --Wayne Smith, 10th Bishop of Missouri