ABSTRACT
This practical guide summarizes the principles of working with dying patients and their families as influenced by the commoner world religions and secular philosophies. It also outlines the main legal requirements to be followed by those who care for the dying following the death of the patient.
The first part of the book provides a reflective introduction to the general influences of world religions on matters to do with dying, death and grief. It considers the sometimes conflicting relationships between ethics, religion, culture and personal philosophies and how these differences impact on individual cases of dying, death and loss. The second part describes the general customs and beliefs of the major religions that are encountered in hospitals, hospices, care homes and home care settings. It also includes discussion of non-religious spirituality, humanism, agnosticism and atheism. The final part outlines key socio-legal aspects of death across the UK.
Death, Religion and Law provides key knowledge, discussion and reflection for dealing with the diversity of the everyday care of dying and death in different religious, secular and cultural contexts. It is an important reference for practitioners working with dying patients, their families and the bereaved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|87 pages
Belief systems in society and human history
chapter 1|3 pages
Introduction to death and religion in society
chapter 2|10 pages
Faith, why people believe and the need for tolerance
chapter 3|11 pages
The characteristics of a religion or belief system
chapter 4|6 pages
The range of belief paradigms
chapter 5|17 pages
What happens when we die?
chapter 7|4 pages
What does death mean to patients and their relatives? 1
chapter 8|4 pages
Near-death experiences, deathbed visions and visions of the bereaved
chapter 9|11 pages
The entanglement of religion, ethics and societal development
chapter 10|8 pages
The uses and abuses of religions
part II|116 pages
Managing death in different faiths and doctrines
chapter 11|7 pages
An introduction to religions and belief systems
chapter 12|6 pages
The landscape of religions worldwide and in the UK
chapter 13|4 pages
The Baha’i faith
chapter 14|10 pages
Buddhism
chapter 15|7 pages
Chinese religions
chapter 16|12 pages
Christianity
chapter 17|8 pages
Hinduism
chapter 18|11 pages
Islam
chapter 19|6 pages
Jainism
chapter 20|10 pages
Judaism
chapter 21|4 pages
Rastafarianism
chapter 22|11 pages
Secular philosophies and other belief systems
chapter 23|7 pages
Shintoism
chapter 24|8 pages
Sikhism
chapter 25|4 pages
Zoroastrianism
part III|111 pages
Legal aspects of death in the UK