Regarding Thanatology, we’ve covered several topics already, and I feel this one is a little more important as to how pastoral care is so beneficial to the dying person but also the family members of the dying person and, really, anyone who is bereaved or in grief. Someone who has expertise in pastoral thanatology really brings benefit to the dying and the bereaved, and people who practice this field include chaplains, pastors, counselors, lay pastors, caregivers, and Hospice and palliative caregivers.
I’ve mentioned in the past that I consider myself a lay thanatologist. Truth be told, I haven’t studied a lot as far as the physical changes the body goes through, certainly not enough to be an expert, but I have sat with people and watched them die. I have watched their bodies transition into their last breath and their last heartbeat. I understand that those experiences don’t make me an expert by any stretch of the imagination. Additionally, I have been in grief myself. I have had loss. I have sat with others who have suffered loss. I have been with people of different faith. I have been with people who have no faith. Again, that does not make me an expert—it doesn’t even get me close to being able to pursue any sort of certification in Thanatology, and certainly not pastoral thanatology. However, I still believe I have something to offer people. Because of that life experience that I have had and the study that I am doing as a part of my podcast, maybe it gives me a little bit of insight, and as long as I can approach somebody with this desire to bring comfort and peace and I stay within that realm of my life experience, I think that is where I feel the most helpful to someone, in the area of empathy and compassion. While I don’t have a certification, I absolutely have experienced grief, loss and bereavement myself, and I find that I can share my own experiences but also have a sense of understanding of someone else who is also experiencing grief.
In order for a pastoral thanatologist to become certified, they usually will have a bachelor’s degree in ministry, seminary, theology, etc. They are also oftentimes pursuing a master’s degree with a particular Thanatology certification. So, basically, what I think I gathered from my research, is that a pastor will have the education in theology, Bible knowledge, and religion, but then they’ve got that extra education in Thanatology coursework which, from what I have learned, is about six different courses. Various universities offer different courses within their degree structure. In addition to the education at the Master’s level, an internship is also required. From the FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions sections of a couple of university websites, I noticed that it does not matter how many conversations one has had or how many people a certification candidate has cared for prior to entering this certification program. The candidate is still required to pursue an internship following completion of the educational coursework, which usually totals between 200-260 hours of contact time, with people who are suffering from grief, are bereaved, or who are dying. Some of the courses specific to Thanatology within this certification program are titled Spiritual Care, End of Life Care, Gender Dynamics, Cultural Dynamics, Disenfranchised Grief, Behavioral Methods, Biblical and Spiritual Resources.
On one particular website about pastoral thanatology, a paper had been written describing this particular field and a paragraph that caught my eye was this: ‘A pastor must remain a silent partner without passing judgment. A pastor evaluates the mood and attitudes of the family and the dying person. The pastor attends to the emotional needs of the family.’ Other websites outlined potential careers for a thanatologist who is also a pastor. A certified pastoral thanatologist can work in Hospice as a chaplain or at a church as a pastor, with a specialty in dying and death. This certified pastoral thanatologist can perform funerals and also, very interestingly, work with first responders. Let that sit with you for a moment…….Can you picture in your mind where it would be very helpful to have a chaplain or a pastoral thanatologist standing by with the first responders in the case of finding someone who has deceased, or right there when the family is present after someone has just passed away? Think back to the coroner/ medical examiner discussion that we had earlier on in this series. One of those professionals is going to notify the family, and while they themselves have some experience it may not be in spiritual care but, rather, in grief care. Someone who is specially certified in pastoral thanatology, however, could be beneficial, right there on scene, for whatever the needs are of the family. Looking back to the paragraph I quoted earlier in this piece, a person trained in pastoral thanatology can assess and attempt to meet the emotional needs of the family, and be able to assess the mood and attitude of the people on scene, including the first responders in some cases which, I would imagine, could be very, very helpful.
The website gotquestions.org/thanatology explains that much of the Bible message about death is one of comfort. Some scriptures are mentioned. The Christian perspective on thanatology is that Christianity offers hope of restored relationships after death. The Spiritual Care Association’s University of Theology and Spirituality describes themselves as a ‘progressive, interdenominational, interfaith, and interspiritual institution’. Spiritual care is the focus but it is not through a particular denomination or tradition. Personally, I see chaplains following this construct. Regardless of their personal religion, they have studied many denominations and spiritual practices, which allows them to be a spiritual guide to pretty much anyone. Put this specially trained pastoral thanatologist in the setting of a person dying, facing their death, or the bereaved family losing the one they love, and the spiritual needs can be expressed and met without judgment. And then, tying that in with the Christian perspective, I imagine that there can be some peace through the effort of helping someone feel comfort around the death of somebody they love or when facing their own death.
That’s pastoral thanatology for today. I’d like to make myself available for questions or comments about this topic, or any others from previous weeks. If you have thoughts on this, please send me a note. I’m glad you’re with me on this Thanatology exploration, and until next time, take care.
Podcast episodes: whilewerestillhere.buzzsprout.com
Contact me: [email protected]
Website: grimtea.com
References:
Tyndale.ca/seminary/programs/pastoral-thanatology
American Institute of Healthcare Professionals aichp.org
Gotquestions.org/thanatology
American Academy of Grief Counseling
Association for Death Education and Counseling adec.org