The fear of death is why we build cathedrals, have children, declare war and watch cat videos online at 3 a.m.
~ Caitlin Doughty from Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
If all of us would make an all-out effort to contemplate our own death, to deal with our anxieties surrounding the concept of our death, and to help others familiarize themselves with these thoughts, perhaps there could be less destructiveness around us.
~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross from On Death & Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families
Death is universal. Those who are human die.
Although death is a universal human experience, Americans typically do not engage in everyday conversations about grief, loss, death, and dying. When my husband, a retired hospice chaplain, and I, a facilitator of grief support groups, explain to others about our work, we frequently hear, “That’s hard. I could never do that.” This points toward the anxiety that we have about grief, loss, death, and dying. Such anxiety may drive us to spend energy and money hiding from this human reality.
Consider the studies cited by Barbara Reich, indicating that we seem more likely to extend life for the terminally ill. Reich notes that an apparent difference exists between what most terminally ill patients state is their desire (comfort care) and what many in reality experience (life-prolonging care,[1] or I would add that maybe a better phrase is death-prolonging care). Moreover, data from Medicare indicates that those in the US fail to utilize hospice to its full potential, leading to overuse of intensive medical care and increased harm to the patients.[2]
Additionally, many of us in our society hope for a miracle when diagnosed with a terminal illness. A study, published in 2018, discovered that 68 percent of Millennials and 80 percent of Generation Xers, Boomers, and those born prior to 1946 in the United States believe in religious miracles.[3] Beliefs in miracles, be it medical or religious, may lead some to avoid palliative care or hospice as they hold out for a miraculous cure in the face of a terminal illness.
This raises the question: If we believe in miracles, all the while knowing that we will eventually die, how do we approach grief, loss, death, and dying?
The Research Project . . .
One way to discover an answer to this question is to hear the perspective of a group who strongly believes in divine healing: Pentecostals/Charismatics. Although Pentecostals/Charismatics believe in divine healing, they are still mortal—they will die. With this in mind, I am inquiring:
How do Pentecostals and/or Charismatics, who hold strongly to a belief in divine healing, approach grief, loss, death, and dying? Additionally, how is faith and/or healing expressed amidst grief, loss, death, and dying and how may the church be helpful to the dying and/or grieving?
For help in answering these questions, I am seeking to interview individuals who:
- are adults over the age of 21 who are citizens of either Canada or the United States;
- currently self-identify as Pentecostal or Charismatic; and
- identify as one of the following:
- A family member or close friend who was the primary hospice contact for a Pentecostal or Charismatic friend or relative on hospice. It is requested that the death of the person who was on hospice be within the last 3 years
- Funeral directors or morticians—must be certified or licensed in their occupation and serving in this capacity for a minimum of one year. Retired persons in this field will be considered.
- Hospice employees as specified below:
- Hospice chaplains
- Hospice music therapists
- Hospice RNs or LPNs
- Hospice social workers
PLEASE NOTE: all hospice employees must be certified or licensed in their field or discipline and be currently employed by a hospice for a minimum of one year
If you meet the above criteria and you have questions or are interested in participating in this research project, please contact me to begin the screening process at:
The screening process involves a questionnaire with a possible follow-up telephone conversation for clarification. If you are selected as a participant, you will be invited to tell your story in an extended, semi-structured interview via a video call (such as Zoom, FaceTime, etc.). Participants may have the main questions in advance to assist in providing a sense of safety and security. Please keep in mind that the goal of the research project is to publish a book on grief, loss, death, and dying among Pentecostals and Charismatics. Any information that is obtained in connection with this process, which can be identified as you, will remain confidential and will not be disclosed. This includes such information as names, dates, and locations.
Whether or not you fit the criteria . . .
I request that you spread the word. I am relying on the assistance of others to tell Pentecostals/ Charismatics about this research project; therefore, would you consider sharing this post on social media or with other friends and family?
Who am I . . .
My name is Pam F. Engelbert, and I am a practical theologian who is ordained with the Assemblies of God. I have served with my husband as a co-pastor in the U.S. and as an instructor overseas. After returning to the United States, we have returned periodically to teach block courses overseas. I currently companion others on their grief journeys by facilitating grief support groups for a local nonprofit, nonreligious bereavement center. I received an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary and a PhD in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Luther Seminary. I hold a Grief Support Specialist Certificate from the University of Wisconsin and a certificate of Death and Grief Studies from the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, CO. I have previously interviewed Pentecostals and Charismatics for two books:
1) Who Is Present in Absence?: A Pentecostal Theological Praxis of Suffering and Healing—I interviewed persons who had experienced extended suffering while hoping/expecting/praying for a divine intervention that did not come; and
2) See My Body, See Me: A Pentecostal Perspective on Healing from Sexual Violence—I interviewed survivors of sexual violence and licensed counselors on healing from sexual violence.
[1] Barbara A. Reich, “The Conundrum: How Much Medical Care Is ‘Enough’?” Chapter in Intimations of Mortality: Medical Decision-Making at the End of Life (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 3.
[2] Ibid., 12-13.
[3] Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, Religion, Spirituality, and Secularity among Millennials (London: Routledge, 2023), 49, 5, doi: 10.4324/9781003217695 and Eric Widera, Kenneth Rosenfield, Erik Fromme, Daniel Sulmasy, and Robert Arnold, “Approaching Patients and Family Members Who Hope for a Miracle,” Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 42, no. 1 (2011): 119-125, doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2011.03.008.
