基督信仰與悲傷療癒－喪親者的經驗初探

Christianity and Grief Therapy - A Preliminary Study on the Experiences of Bereaved Families

蔡佩真

《神學與教會》 39卷2期 (2014/06) Pp. 300-314

https://doi.org/10.6888/TC.201406_39(2).0007

並列摘要

Death compels us to search for answers about life and to reaffirm what we ultimately care about. Where did we come from? Where are we going? For bereaved families, religion provides answers to their questions about death and it also relieves their sense of anxiety and helplessness. Religious faith is an important source of strength and support for bereaved families. Furthermore, families that have religious faith get over their sorrow and loss faster than those that have no religious faith. Christianity has a unique perspective on life and death and sorrow, which affects Christians' attitudes vis-a-vis life and death. This report uses interviews as its qualitative research method. It interviews 10 Christians who have lost a loved one. According to conclusions derived from these interviews, Christianity explains where people go after they die. As result, bereaved families have peace of mind since they know the whereabouts of their deceased relative. These families know that their loved one is in heaven or has simply moved on to another space. Being assured that there is a specific arrangement for a deceased loved one helps family members to forever retain memories of the one they've lost in their hearts and minds. Christianity extends hope to bereaved families and to the deceased that they will meet again. Bereaved families believe that their deceased loved one has simply gone to another world to wait for them. Consequently, bereaved families will not regard their loss as profoundly and they will eagerly await being reunited with their loved one. As result, Christianity has lessened the grief of losing a loved one. In addition, religion offers moral support because religious communities become vital networks of support for bereaved families. Nevertheless, this study highlights some issues that need further reflection. One issue is whether religious faith provides a helping hand or results in greater burden for people undergoing therapy. These issues have been brought forth with the hope that they may serve as reminders or references for Christian counselors and pastors engaged in grief counseling.

並列關鍵字

Grief ； Christianity