IST2021-1OL-SP14 - Pastoral Care in Death & Dying, Grief & Loss

Instructor: Larry Kent Graham

Teaching Assistant:  Shyamaa Creaven

Office Hours: Contact by Email for appointment:

lgraham@iliff.edu

screaven@iliff.edu

Course Synopsis:

This course will examine representative contemporary literature on death, dying, grief, and loss from a pastoral and theological point of view.  Combining theory and practice, the course will help students develop a personal, pastoral, and theological response to persons and communities challenged by loss, especially loss occasioned by death and dying.

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

A.General Required Readings for Purchase  

Anderson, Herbert E. and Mitchell, Kenneth, All our Losses/All our Griefs. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983.  Taylor Library: BJ1487.M57 1983ISBN 0664244939 (Paper)

Becvar, Dorothy Stroh.  In the Presence of Grief: Helping Family Members Resolve Death, Dying and Bereavement Issues. New York: Guilford Publications, Inc., 2001. Taylor Library: BF575.G7B438 2003 ISBN 1-57230-697-1

Haruf, Kent.  Benediction.  2013

Kushner, Harold S.  When Bad Things Happen to Good People. NY: Random House, Anchor Book Edition, 2004.  ISBN 1-4000-3472-8 (Paper) Taylor Library: BM645.P7K87

Nuland, Sherwood. How We Die.New York: Vintage Books, 1993.  Taylor Library: BD444.N853 1995 ISBN 0-679-41461-4

Tolstoy, Leo, The Death of Ivan Illych and Master and Man. A New Translation, with an Introduction and Notes, by Ann Pasternak Slater. NY: The Modern Library.  2004 Modern Library Paperback Edition. ISBN 0-375-76099-7   

B.Literary Options (Choose one for your book report)

Albom, Mitch,Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson.  NY: Broadway Books, 1997

Didion, Joan. The Year of Magical Thinking.  NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. ISBN 1-4000-4314-X

Krakauer, John, Into the Wild.  NY: Random House, 1996.  ISBN 0-385-48680-4

Paterson, Katherine and Diamond, Donna, Bridge to Terabithia.  NY: Harper Collins, 1977.  ISBN 0-06-440-84-7 (Paper)

Roach, Mary. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers.  NY:  W. W. Norton & Co, 2003.  ISBN 0-393-050939 

Tyler, Anne, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. NY: Knopf, 1982.  ISBN 0-394-52381-4

Highly Recommended (No reading assignments; not required to purchase)

Callahan, Maggie and Patricia Kelly. Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs and Communications of the Dying.  NY: Bantam Books, 1993. ISBN 0-553-37876-7.

Kastenbaum, Robert J. Death, Society, and Human Experience. 8th Edition.  Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2003.  ISBN 0-205-31936-X

Kramer, Kenneth. The Sacred Art of Dying: How World Religions Understand Death.  NY: Paulist Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8091-2942-6

Long, Thomas.  Accompany Them with Singing: The Christian Funeral.  Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2009.    

Townsend, Loren L.  Suicide: Pastoral Responses.  Ed. Daniel G. Bagby.  Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006.  Taylor: HV6545.T696 2006

  1. Additional Assigned Readings and Resources. Purchase optional. Check Canvas Files for posted items.

Anderson, Herbert E.  “What Consoles?” Sewanee Theological Review.  Volume 36 no. 3 1993  pp. 374-384.

Barton, Jane. “Demystifying Hospice and Palliative Care.”  PDF file, handout and posted on Moodle.

Clark, M. Anne, “A Ritual for the Closure of a Life When Life is Artificially Supported, When the Quality of Life Has Gone.”The Journal of Pastoral Care, Winter 1999, Vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 489-492. Click on the following Url:   Clarke, Ritual for the Closure of a Life To access this online at EbscoHost you may need User ID= s8445841; password = pz6ac53x.

Cullman, Oscar, “Immortality of the Soul,” in Stendahl, Krister. Immortality and resurrection; four essays by Oscar Cullman, Harry A. Wolfson, Werner Jaeger, and Henry J. Cadbury. New York: Macmillan, 1965.

Descendents, The [Movie, available through Netflix, public library, or some other rental source.

Graham, Larry, et. al.  “The Value of Observing an Autopsy in Clergy and Pastoral Care Education.”  Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Vol. 61, No. 4 Winter 2007, 365-379.

Graham, Larry Kent. “Pastoral Theology and Catastrophic Disaster.”   Journal of Pastoral Theology, Vol. 16, No. 2 Fall 2006, 1-17.  

“Henig, Robin Marantz, “Will We Ever Arrive at the Good Death?” New York Times, August 7, 2005.   Marantz, "Good Death"   

Michener, James A. Alaska.  Trade Paperback Edition. NY: Random House, 2002, 28-33.  

Oklahoma City Memorial Virtual Tour

Puchalski, Christina, Ferrell, Betty, Virani, Rose, et. al.  “Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Dare: The Report of the Consensus Conference.” Journal of Palliative Medicine 12, 10, 2009, 884-904.

Savages, The  [Movie, available through Netflix, public library,  or some other rental source]

Shanghavi, Darshak, “When Does Death Start?” New York Times, January 5, 2010.  Shanghavi, "When Does Death Start?"

Stendahl, Krister, Ed.  Immortality and Resurrection: Four Essays by Oscar Cullman, Harry A. Wolfson, Werner Jaeger, and Henry J. Cadbury.   New York: Macmillan, c1965.  [PDF Posted to Moodle]

Tozer, Richard. “Nature and Impact of Grief Over Patient Loss on Oncologists’ Personal and Professional Lives.” Archives of Internal Medicine (May 21, 2012): 1.

Please note:  All materials posted to Moodle for this course are posted in accordance with fair use, acceptable academic practice, and copyright laws. They are posted in a secure site for your personal use in connection with this course. Students are not authorized to make copies and distribute this material electronically beyond the purposes of successfully completing this course.

Note:   Research assistance is available from Laura Harris, the Reference and Instruction Librarian at Iliff School of Theology.  You may contact her at lharris@iliff.edu  You may also find help at her Research Assistance Page where you will find posted a research mind map (including links to information and tutorials on using databases) and other very helpful (and enjoyable) resources.

Graham Bibliography in Pastoral Theology and Care 

I have prepared a bibliography of Pastoral Theology and Care that I try to keep current.  It is an open source document that others may add to.  You will find it at:

Graham Bibliography in Pastoral Theology and Care 2012

1.To become conversant with core literature to support caregiving in death and dying, grief and loss, and to demonstrate one’s knowledge of this literature through weekly postings to the online Reading Forums.

2.To observe and participate in ministries and spiritual and pastoral care to dying and grieving persons, in order  to learn basic skills of joining, attending, guiding and consoling in these difficult times.

3.To explore one’s own history of grief and loss as a basis for offering a compassionate pastoral presence and spiritual guidance to persons facing loss.

4.To explore and articulate one’s point of view about death as a basis for helping others struggle with questions of meaning in the face of death and affliction.

5.To create a trusting and empathic online learning community of learning as a model of care for helping others.

 

Assignments 

1.Weekly readings.

2.Weekly postings to the Reading Forum and Care Team.

3.Participation in at least two field trips: Virtual Oklahoma City Online and one other.

4.Writing Projects

A.     A case study on a pastoral situation related to the themes of the course.

OR

A book review of one of the current literary selections on the reading list.

B.    A three-page reflection paper on two field trips.

5.   Final Project:  See below for options

Grading

Weekly Readings and Online Discussions:  30%

Case Study or Book Review: 30%

Reflection Papers 14%

Final Project 26%

Interpretation of Assignments

A.Book Review

The book review should be 5-6 pages.  Please describe the book and its major point of view.  Engage what you take to be its major themes and how they develop.  Relate these to at least one of the other readings required for the course, and to class discussions as appropriate.  Discuss why you picked the book and what you expected from it.  Pay close attention to impact of the book on your thinking, and make concrete links to a pastoral situation of which you are aware.  Book Review Guidelines are posted to Moodle to supplement the interpretation of the book review in this paragraph.  Book Reviews are due by 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 18.

B.Field Trips

Two field trips are required. All students will work through the online virtual Oklahoma City Field trip.  The professor will offer a field trip to observe an autopsy.  Students may use this autopsy for their second filed trip, or arrange a field trip on their own.   

A virtual field trip to Oklahoma City Memorial has been posted in the Coursepage for Week 8.  All students are required to access and follow the directions on Canvas for completing this virtual tour and writing a Reflection Paper on it.

Other options for field trips, to be set up on your own:

Visit a hospice in which pastoral care with end of life issues is the focus.  

Visit a funeral home for a tour and conversation with the grief counselor.

An Interview/Event report of an interview or visit with a person or organization that  is connected professionally with the fields of grief, death, and dying.  Some examples could be a Hemlock Society member, an eldercare advisor, therapy dog handlers in a hospice setting, or with someone related to programs of organ donor ship.  A suitable event might be a public lecture based related to the topic of the course, a debate on euthanasia or assisted suicide, or discussions about the death penalty.  Attendance at a funeral service would also be appropriate.  

Reflection papers for field trips or Interview/Event are due at 11:59 PM two days after the event has taken place, though they should be posted (whenever they are taken) in the Assignment Portal on May 11..

C.Case Study

On a form that will be posted on Moodle, a student may write about a pastoral situation related to death and dying, grief and loss.  Some of these will be discussed in class and provide the basis for role-plays in class.  The case study should be 5-6 pages.  It may include verbatim material, but it records more experience than a onetime pastoral visit.  The Case Study is due at 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 18.

D.Final Project.

The final project may take several forms:  a sermon, lecture, or research paper on a selected topic.  It may be an expanded case study, or an annotated bibliography.  It may be a summary of your personal journal over the ten-day period of the course.  It may be an extended review of a second book from List B, or other resource not on the list. You may present an exegetical paper on a biblical passage related to the themes of the course.  The final project should be 8 - 10 double-spaced pages, excluding references and notes.  Proper citation must be followed.  The Final Project is due at 11:59 PM on Friday, TBD.

E.Reflection Papers

The reflection paper on the field trip will be three  pages in length.  It will describe the field trip, the main learning and the impact on your thinking and self-understanding.  Insights for pastoral practice will be expected.  Theological insights should be identified.  Reflection Papers are due at 11:59 PM two days after the field trip or Interview/Event

 

Reading and online discussion will be the primary mode of teaching.  Field trips will be required.   Book reviews, case studies and reflection papers will be assigned.  Non-print media will be introduced on occasion.  Students should expect to spend 10 -12 hours per week on this course.  

Since this is a course in pastoral care all communications in this course--telephone, email, online postings, responses to one another’s work, disagreements and conflict—will be in the mode of pastoral conversation. This means careful and effective listening, emotional attending, open and direct communication, and respectful give and take.  Participants are responsible for own responses to the material and to one another.  Part of the pastoral care process is to learn to monitor, explore, and modify one’s own responses to what takes place in group and interpersonal interaction.  The instructor and course participants will work together to explore ways to enhance this dimension of the pastoral care enterprise.

Each participant is responsible for deciding their own level of self-disclosure the instructor and fellow students.  What is said in the course stays in the course, unless decided otherwise by agreement.  

Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs. Students are encouraged to contact their assigned adviser to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303.765.1146.  

Professional Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

All students must agree to abide by professional confidentiality in all matters, which means that they will preserve anonymity by disguising the identity of cases when seeking consultation and case reporting.  Student disclosures to one another and to the professor will remain confidential, unless the law requires otherwise.  In all cases, students must be aware of the mandatory reporting laws of the state in which they provide professional caregiving. If they are designated spiritual caregivers within their religious tradition, they need to also be aware of what their religious organization requires.  If students have reason to suspect or have first-hand knowledge of recent, current, or ongoing child abuse or neglect perpetrated on a child currently under the age of 18 years, elder abuse, sexual and domestic violence, or threats of homicide or suicide in any of the pastoral situations they use for fulfilling the requirements of this course they need to seek immediate consultation with supervisors, denominational leaders, and the professor of this course so that proper reporting procedures can be ascertained. We will work together to establish an appropriate pastoral relationship with all parties facing these crises.  

State laws on mandatory reporting are available at State Laws on Mandatory Clergy Reporting  Colorado mandatory reporting requirements may be found at Colorado Revised Statutes 19-3-304, 1a, 2(aa, II, III); 13-90-107c.  

Please note: we do everything we can to maintain the security of an online format. However digital materials appearing on the Internet may be compromised.  Please do not post any information that you feel would be against your best interests if it is released beyond the purposes of this course.  Please consult with the instructors and/or the Iliff Helpdesk if you have any questions or concerns.  

Contacting Instructors

The professor is available by email lgraham@iliff.edu or by telephone at 303-765-3104.

Shyamaa Creaven may be contacted by email: screaven@iliff.edu

Care Team Forums

Participants will be assigned to Care Teams of four or five persons for weekly Care Team Forum postings and discussions of selections for working with cases and more personal matters.  It is especially important to regularly read and respond to the postings and discussions in your Care Team.  

Work Load

Students should expect to between 8 – 12 hours each week on this course.  If there is more assigned than you can handle each week, be sure to focus your efforts on the specific questions or guidelines for posting.  In any case, you should put most of your efforts into the elements of this course that are most interesting and valuable to you.  Priority of online postings and comments should be given to your Care Team, since peer learning requires consistent engagement and feedback.

Online Courseware, Syllabus, and Weekly Schedule 

Students must be familiar with Canvas to succeed in this online format.  Please consult My.Iliff for tutorials and email or phone Iliff’s HelpDesk with questions about navigating the technical components of the course.  The HelpDesk may be contacted by email at helpdesk@iliff.edu or by phone at (303) 909-9321.  If you have not done so please register the email you use most frequently in the Coursepage for this course.  

The Syllabus gives an overview of the course and its requirements.  The Weekly Schedule details the specific tasks for each week of the course.  The Syllabus and Weekly Schedule will be posted to Google Docs as well as to the Canvas Coursepage.  

Policies and Services

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

Degree Learning Goals

Iliff MDiv Curricular Goals Central to this Course

1.1.   Demonstrate basic awareness of a range of religious traditions and an emerging capacity to engage in comparative analysis between traditions around a particular topic

1.2.   Identify and critically evaluate the symbolic systems and religious meanings at play in everyday events and interactions, institutional structures, and cultural artifacts

2.      Think theologically in a contemporary context and articulate a constructive theological position.

2.2.   critically engage historical theological expressions of Christianity in relation to contemporary events and/or situations

2.3.   identify and articulate their constructive theological position on an issue, current event, or traditional Christian doctrinal category with clarity

2.5.   engage in social analysis of contemporary religious traditions and institutions in order to assess current religious practices and to design meaningful practices of ministry within particular contexts

3.      Demonstrate personal and professional self-awareness and emerging competency in characteristic practices of religious leadership

3.5.   demonstrate capacity to perform and to assess characteristic practices of religious leadership in ways that are sensitive to contextual realities and relationships: preaching, teaching, administering, leading worship, and pastoral caregiving

3.6.   establish an effective presence as a leader in the vocational context to which they feel called, and demonstrate adequate self-awareness of their characteristic styles of interaction, commitments, strengths and limitations as they move into new contexts

3.7.   clearly interpret one's beliefs and behavior to the community one serves

4. Demonstrate personal and professional self-awareness and emerging competency in characteristic practices of religious leadership

4.6.   establish an effective presence as a leader in the vocational context to which they feel called, and demonstrate adequate self-awareness of their characteristic styles of interaction, commitments, strengths and limitations as they move into new contexts.

Weekly Assignments

DateDayDetails
Mar 27, 2014ThuVideo Introductiondue by 05:59AM
Mar 31, 2014MonReply to Video Introductionsdue by 05:59AM
Mar 31, 2014MonUnit 1 Readings & Discussiondue by 05:59AM
Apr 03, 2014ThuUnit 2 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
Apr 03, 2014ThuCare Team Discussion (Main)due by 05:59AM
Apr 07, 2014MonUnit 2 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
Apr 10, 2014ThuUnit 3 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
Apr 10, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
Apr 14, 2014MonUnit 3 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
Apr 15, 2014TueAutopsy Field Trip Sign up and Directions [Optional]due by 05:59AM
Apr 17, 2014ThuUnit 4 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
Apr 17, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
Apr 21, 2014MonUnit 4 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
Apr 24, 2014ThuUnit 5 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
Apr 24, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
Apr 28, 2014MonCase Study or Book Review Duedue by 05:59AM
Apr 28, 2014MonUnit 5 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
May 01, 2014ThuReading and Discussion Grade First Half of Coursedue by 05:59AM
May 01, 2014ThuUnit 6 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
May 01, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
May 05, 2014MonUnit 6 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
May 08, 2014ThuUnit 7 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
May 08, 2014ThuCare Team Discussion (Main - 2)due by 05:59AM
May 12, 2014MonField Trip Reflection Paper [Autopsy or Self-arranged]due by 05:59AM
May 12, 2014MonOklahoma City Virtual Field Trip Reflection Paperdue by 05:59AM
May 12, 2014MonUnit 7 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
May 15, 2014ThuUnit 8 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
May 15, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
May 19, 2014MonUnit 8 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
May 22, 2014ThuUnit 9 Reading Discussion Adue by 05:59AM
May 22, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
May 26, 2014MonUnit 9 Reading Discussion Bdue by 05:59AM
May 29, 2014ThuUnit 10 Reading Discussion A Thank-yous and Takeawaysdue by 05:59AM
May 29, 2014ThuCare Team Discussiondue by 05:59AM
May 31, 2014SatFinal Projectdue by 05:59AM
May 31, 2014SatReading and Discussion Grade Second Half of Coursedue by 05:59AM