Religion, Life, and Death : Untangling Fears and the Search for Coherence

Based on a content analysis of writing assignments from a class on death and dying, this book focuses on the manner in which college students use religion to make sense of death and the dying process. Drawing on research spanning five years, the author considers the attitudes, concerns, and beliefs about death, exploring students’ perspectives on the place of religion in end-of-life issues. With attention to questions related to death anxiety, suicide, mass homicide, and the death of young children, the author examines the ways in which students draw on religion to make sense of death, religion’s function as both a source of comfort and empowerment and a source of distress, as well as the perceptions of those who resist religion. As such, __Religion, Life, and Death__ will appeal to social scientists with interests in the sociology of young adults, and the sociology and psychology of religion, death, and dying. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgments 1 Introduction The Current Study Significance of the Study Organization of the Book 2 The Link Between Religion, Health, and Death Anxiety Overview Types of Religiosity and How They Affect Health Mechanisms through which Religiosity and Spirituality Influence Health Promotion of Health Behaviors and Lifestyles Denominational Differences Social Integration and Social Support Facilitation of Meaning and a Sense of Coherence Influence on Affective States and Psychological Processes Facilitation of Coping Skills in Times of Crises Intrinsic Religiosity as a Mediator Religion's Paradoxical Health Outcomes Religion and Death Anxiety Mixed Findings in the Religion–Death Anxiety Relationship Mechanisms in the Religiosity-Death Anxiety Relationships Sense of Control as a Mediating Factor How Different Types of Religiosity Shape Death Anxiety Belief in the Afterlife and Death Anxiety Buffering Theory Death Apprehension Theory Terror Management Theory Religion and the Illusion of Control 3 Anticipating Death Methods Data Source and Method Sampling Strategy and Sample Characteristics Summary Statistics of the Sample Results and Findings What Is Death? Death Fears The Moment of Death Last Rites: The Imaginary Funeral 4 Religion and Tragic Deaths: Suicide and Homicide Suicide Homicide—How 9/11 Shook People's Faith Trust God. Don't Lose Faith Lesson Learned: Deepen One's Faith in the Face of Tragedy Losing My Religion: Questioning Faith 9/11 as Having No Effect on One's Faith God as Working in Mysterious Ways God as Testing Humans Don't Blame God or Religion The Dark Side of Religion Religious Extremism Religious Used for Both Evil and Good Religion's Divisiveness Religious Personification of Evil The Varied Nature of Religion 5 Religion and Tragic Deaths: The Death of Young Children Broaching Death to a Child: Imparting the Idea of a Heaven or Afterlife A Toned-Down Version of Heaven Heavenless Explaining Death and Dying through a Religious Lens as a Possibility 6 Reflections on Life, Death, and Religion Brutally Honest Obituaries The Meaning of Life What Makes You Happy? 7 How College Students Use Religion to Comprehend Death Religion as an Agent of Socialization: Delineating Appropriate Death Behaviors Religion as a Resource for Understanding the Meaning of Death and Life Somewhere between Heaven and Hell: A Debate on Life After Death Religion as a Source of Comfort Religion as a Source of Empowerment through the Illusion of Control The Religiously Conflicted Resistance to Religion When Religion Does Not Have the Answers 8 Religious Interpretative Frameworks in the Face of Death Making Sense of Death: Religious Interpretative Frameworks Religion as a Resiliency Resource Index "Based on a content analysis of writing assignments from a class on death and dying, this book focuses on the manner in which college students use religion to make sense of death and the dying process. As such, Religion, Life, and Death will appeal to social scientists with interests in the sociology of youth and young people, and the sociology and psychology of religion, death and dying"-- Provided by publisher