Christianity in Grief and Fear Related to Death

By: Catie O'Connor

Abstract: There is no way to prepare for death or bereavement; however, guidance can be sought after in faith. Christianity provides strong foundational beliefs and resources that can help an individual come to terms with the inevitability of death as well as feelings of hope for what is beyond. Understanding that Christianity has been on the decline in the United States, an explanation for the disconnectedness on this topic can be applied to our society. This paper aims to provide direction on the process of accepting death through Christian spirituality without suggesting a solution that is concrete. 

Death is over-looming and ever approaching. It is certain- yet brings many uncertainties. What follows death is unknown, and when these questions begin to rise, fear can become overwhelming. Not only is this troubling for the individual experience, but it brings unsurmountable feelings of grief for those dealing with the death of a loved one. In modern American society, death has become a disconnected part of life. This can build fear because there is a general sense of unawareness. Where this can be guided, however, is in faith. Having something to believe in can ease fear and grief associated with death without granting definite answers. There are many different sources of faith, but Christianity has become predominant in the United States. Using the resources that Christianity has to offer, death does not have to be so daunting. Christainty provides more reassurance in death that can help to offer peace for those seeking it.

Although Christainty can help an individual with fear and grief related to death, it is important to understand that it is a unique process for everyone. Christianity is not the sole source of relief one can find. There are many different religions to consider as well as counseling and aid outside of the spiritual realm. Even isolating Christianity, there is a range and multitude of ways in which it can affect an individual's perception of death. There are many factors that play into it, but in a broad sense, Christianity offers a variety of resources on dealing with fear and grief associated with death. Compared to someone who generally is non-religious, this provides more direction that can help someone to be at peace with the inevitable.

The Bible serves as the basis of Christianity. Scripture is what is taught and preached in mass as well as in familial or individual practice. Within this text is heavy imagery of death and the afterlife, evident in the Last Supper and the Resurrection of Christ. The Last Supper provides the visual for the Heavenly Banquet, which is what is expected as the welcoming when someone ascends to heaven. The Resurrection presents faith in God's work and kingdom (Wills 124-130). These are two of the most well-known examples, and there are many more that help Christians, old or new, paint a picture of life approaching and after death. An extension of these is in the work of Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief Ministry and Death Education by Thomas A. Droege. In this book, he dives into the strong imagery of the bible and develops exercises around them to help Christians with feelings of grief. He states his purpose is "to activate the imagination in the service of faith as we encounter the reality of death and dying in our lives" (2). By applying a strong, spiritual foundation to traditional therapy, Droege has successfully been able to guide people through some of the hardest times of their lives. It is because of their faith that Christians can work through the process of grief to find peace. With their commitment to this method, Droege hopes to "engage people at the deepest level of their experience of both fear and faith with confidence that faith overcomes fear, even the fear of death" (13). This resource, however, requires a foothold in Scripture, which is exclusive to those who have experience in practicing Christian traditions. Someone who is turning to newfound faith in a tragic circumstance may not have the same outcome with these exercises, but it does show them that this type of therapy exists in preparation for the future. This is a more individualistic approach in using faith as a resource, but there are also conversational settings that do not require as much knowledge in Scripture.

Churches in the United States commonly have support groups and counseling as an extension of mass. These can focus on discussing divorce, mental health, financial burdens, as well as grief, to name a few. Grief ministry is crucial in helping members of the church, or local followers of Christ, through the tough times of losing a loved one. A place can also be found for those seeking more awareness on this topic who have built up fear in the past. This form of support can be sought after online, and perhaps in a more outdated fashion, catalogued in books. Larry A. Platt and Roger G. Branch wrote Resources for Ministry in Death and Dying, which lays out how ministry can help those dealing with dying patients, the funeral process, as well grief. They "seek to offer insight into the ministry of death and to suggest how [...] we can restore much of what has been lost in human caring for the dying and bereaved" (15). In addition to helping people during trying times, this book also aims, in a broader sense, to place death back into the natural cycle of life. Platt and Branch recognize how it has become disconnected and they hope to reassure their audience that death is a normal biological occurrence that we must accept. These types of conversations can be difficult amongst strangers, however, faith offers a common ground in which the participants have a strongly rooted foundation. Even if someone is new to the Christain faith, it is easy to recognize the sense of community a church setting has to offer. Grief ministry, among other forms, is an important resource for those following the Christain faith, and perhaps contributing to the growing rise of fear and grief associated with death is the decline of Christianity in the United States.

The number of members in Christianity and the fear of death may not have a direct correlation, but it is important to recognize the trends. Christian faith provides reassurance and a strong belief system in times that an individual may feel lost. It also welcomes the consciousness of death and offers hope for what is beyond. Although it is difficult to record the statistics for spirituality in the United States, considering that it is a large field of grey, it has been observed that members of religious institutions across the board have been on the decline. Susan Ladika, a freelance writer, compiled statistics and analyzed the reasons for these trends in her article, "Christianity in America". She found that "the share of U.S. adults who identified as Christian fell from 83 percent in 2003 to 72 percent in 2017" (803). Recognizing this, it can be applied that these people might be spiritually lost and no longer know what to believe in when it comes to death. Although this is an ambiguous assumption, it provides a possible reason for why conversations on death have become taboo in modern American society. The loss of faith can contribute to the built-up fear and anxiety death has accumulated. This, however, does not place fault on the American population, but perhaps on the religious institutions themselves. Ladika, when drawing conclusions on the statistics she found, stated that "scandals among church leaders are contributing to the apparent loss of faith in Christian institutions" (804). It is unfortunate to see places that should hold esteemed respect and morals fall under corruption. In betraying trust, religious institutions have turned people away from attendance in mass. This is not to say that all faith is lost, but it does remove the resources of ministry that could help someone through the process of bereavement. For those who do experience a loss of faith, there are many different paths one can take. For example, someone may no longer identify with a religious institution, but they still seek spirituality on their own terms. Atheism, on the other hand, is the rejection of a God or gods, which can lead to open endedness when it comes to death.

The absence of belief in deities does not necessarily strip away any perception of the afterlife, but it does create a larger variety of possibilities. Death becomes ambiguous, and this larger unknown can build more fear and anxiety for the individual. In the book, First Things, David Bentley Hart contributes his chapter entitled "Death the Stranger". He shares the narrative of his relative, a pronounced atheist, and his experience in his final days. Damian, his relative, claimed that the personification of death visited him in the form of a skeletal man. He told him that this would be the end of his consciousness- disappointing Damian (Hart 70). Although this is one case, it shows finality unlike the belief of Christians. Hart also goes on to explain how death can be seen as unnatural because of our consciousness towards it, unlike any other animal on Earth. We then reject it because it takes away what makes humanity unique; fear builds around this void of incompleteness. With this inevitably of the unknown, "death torments us with the possibility of ultimate nothingness, and so awaits us at that final crisis that makes all of life questionable" (Hart 71). Christianity offers foundations of Scripture and tradition to maintain strong beliefs of life beyond death, giving hope that has the possibility to break down fear. Atheism, however, creates a large realm of uncertainties as well as a lack of resources that can contribute to a rejection of death and fear associated around it. This is not to say that Christianity and atheism are black and white on the matters of death, but it does show that having faith and its resources can make an impact on the feelings towards the end of life. Also to consider is the middleground, which can include Christians who may not have strong beliefs.

Meta-atheism is a term coined by philosopher Georges Ray to describe a religious believer who is self-deceived and does not truly have faith. This person, for example, may attend church, but does not whole-heartedly have faith in what is being preached. This concept is applied to a study conducted by David B. Feldman, Robert A. Greiss, and Ian C. Fischer entitled "Does Religious Belief Matter for Grief and Death Anxiety?: Experimental Philosophy Meets Psychology of Religion". Within their research, they took participants who have recently lost a loved one and asked them to identify their religious standings and rank different categories of grief and anxiety. Rey's term relates to the study through an argument that, in short, states avowed religious believers should not face such an intense feeling of grief as avowed atheists; and if they do, they are deceived (532). In conclusion of the data they gathered, they found that although "avowed believers and nonbelievers both recall experiencing approximately equal levels of grief postloss, believers appear to experience somewhat lower levels of grief and higher levels of grief-related growth than nonbelievers on average three years later" (535-536). This study, rather small in scale, does not confirm that religious beliefs help to ease grief and death anxiety, but instead it points towards a larger picture. Grief is no less hard for a Christian than an atheist; however, in time, a Christain can possibly find more peace because of their faith. Although faith alone does not promise answers, it is strong enough to guide someone through a difficult time of bereavement. In a broader context and with more inclusivity, religion can help someone come to terms with death and the loss of a loved one.

What follows death is truly uncertain. We have no definite answers, yet faith can help to guide a void of unknown into hope. Understanding that death and bereavement are unique processes for everyone, no "correct" way can be applied toward preparing for the inevitable. Christianity, however, provides foundations of faith and resources that can help an individual through these times of uncertainty. For someone who may be lost on how to deal with death, spirituality offers guidance and a system of beliefs to lean on when nothing else seems available. Christianity, in this way, can help to ease fear and grief associated with death on a path that can ultimately lead toward peace, acceptance, and hope.

Works Cited

Droege, Thomas A. Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief Ministry and Death Education. Paulist Press, 1987.

Feldman, David B., et al. "Does Religious Belief Matter for Grief and Death Anxiety?:  Experimental Philosophy Meets Psychology of Religion." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 55, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 531-539. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.as px?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLAiEYD170327000190&site=ehost-live.

Hart, David Bentley. "Death the Stranger." First Things, vol. 224, June 2012, p. 72. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001902184&site=ehost-live.

Ladika, Susan. "Christianity in America." CQ Researcher, 28 Sept. 2018, pp. 801-24, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2018092800.

Platt, Larry A. and Roger G. Branch. Resources for Ministry in Death and Dying. Broadman Press, 1988.

Wills, Garry. "The Life of God." What Jesus Meant, 2006, 124-139.