Religion and bereavement

Up until recently the use of religion as a coping resource in circumstances of bereavement has been relatively ignored in both psychology and sociology. Indeed, as Holloway notes in her review of ‘negotiating death in contemporary health and social care’, little ‘intellectually rigorous’ attempt has been made to integrate theological (and philosophical) reflection with psychosocial approaches to dying and bereavement (Holloway, 2007: 91). This is particularly surprising when one considers that up to 85% of the world's population is thought to have some kind of religious belief (Sedikides, 2010) and that most if not all religions have specific teaching about the meaning of death. Even more surprising is the fact that neglect of the relationships between religion, death and bereavement also apply within gerontology. Not only are older adults (as we have seen in Chapter Two) the most religiously active members of society in both the US and the UK, but also the rises in life expectancy have led death and bereavement to be increasingly concentrated in the later stages of life.

Religion may be a unique resource with distinct potential benefits or therapeutic properties for helping older adults cope with bereavement. Whereas other factors or resources such as social support, the circumstances of the bereavement, or even counselling may all be involved in coming to terms with a loss, in gradual readjustment, and in preventing social loneliness, these factors may be less helpful in addressing the existential issues or concerns that can be evoked by a significant bereavement and that may also become more important in later life. In this respect religion can provide sources of meaning or ways of understanding bereavement, loss, and death that can be experienced as more personal, profound or philosophical than reliance on rational details about the loss itself and may in different ways be experienced as helpful or beneficial. Indeed, there is much anecdotal evidence to testify to the usefulness of religion in circumstances of bereavement.

For most British older adults, religion, or more specifically the Christianity with which they were brought up, may at some residual level still be an important influence, particularly at times of death.