Overview

A renowned ethicist who himself faced death during a recent life-threatening illness, Allen Verhey in The Christian Art of Dying sets out to recapture dying from the medical world. Seeking to counter the medicalization of death that is so prevalent today, Verhey revisits the fifteenth-century Ars Moriendi, an illustrated spiritual self-help manual on ""the art of dying."" Finding much wisdom in that little book but rejecting its Stoic and Platonic worldview, Verhey uncovers in the biblical accounts of Jesus' death a truly helpful paradigm for dying well and faithfully.

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9780802866721

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Reviews

Keith G. Meador -- Vanderbilt University Allen Verhey offers theological sophistication in concert with practical wisdom regarding dying and the care of those who suffer. He does this with sensitivity and a generous spirit, looking through the carefully discerned lens of Scripture -- a gift to us all. Abigail Rian Evans -- Princeton Theological Seminary Verhey's meticulous, poetic, and scholarly writing is strongly reflected in this book. . . . His call for the church to move from silence to comfort for the dying is a much-needed reminder of the Christian virtues we all must cultivate when confronting the last enemy -- death. This way can liberate us from the total medicalization of death so that we relearn ars bene moriendi and embrace our Christian faith and faithfulness, robbing death of its final word. John Swinton -- University of Aberdeen Death is inevitable. But how we die is not so inflexible. In this scholarly yet deeply personal reflection on death and dying, Allen Verhey offers vital insight into how we think about dying and what kind of people we need to be if dying well is to become our new way of living. Ethics & Medicine A valuable resource and inspiration for Christian communities who wish to care for the dying in light of the story of Jesus and the practices of the church. Living Church Provides the most satisfying and complete guide for reclaiming the Church's ministry to the dying. Reviews in Religion & Theology Deserves careful reading both in the scholarly guild and the local parish. . . . This book is a thoughtful dialogue partner for anyone engaging with this important subject, be it a seasoned scholar writing a monograph on death or a local pastor looking for thoughtful resources to equip a community of saints to live faithfully the story of Jesus. Modern Theology The Christian Art of Dying, written in part in response to Verhey's own life-threatening illness, must surely be counted among his best books and an important contribution to the growing conversation about how Christian might help each other faithfully negotiate the end of life. . . . Invaluable. Theology Today Rich, historical, pastoral, theological, and occasionally personal reflections on how Christians, even while appreciating medical tools for resisting death, can learn to face death from the perspective of faith. This book will appeal to Christian readers from a variety of backgrounds who look to Christian theology and practices for defining their perspectives on death.

Allen Verhey is professor of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School. His other books include Reading the Bible in the Strange World of Medicine, Nature and Altering It, and Remembering Jesus: Christian Community, Scripture, and the Moral Life. <br> Keith G. Meador<br>-- Vanderbilt University<br> Allen Verhey offers theological sophistication in concert with practical wisdom regarding dying and the care of those who suffer. He does this with sensitivity and a generous spirit, looking through the carefully discerned lens of Scripture -- a gift to us all. <br> Abigail Rian Evans<br>-- Princeton Theological Seminary<br> Verhey's meticulous, poetic, and scholarly writing is strongly reflected in this book. . . . His call for the church to move from silence to comfort for the dying is a much-needed reminder of the Christian virtues we all must cultivate when confronting the last enemy -- death. This way can liberate us from the total medicalization of death so that we relearnb

Author Information

Allen Verhey (1945-2014) was Robert Earl Cushman Professor of Christian Theology at Duke Divinity School.

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