A Christian Ending to Our Life:Dying and Death in Orthodox Tradition

This course will explore the Orthodox Christian theological and pastoral tradition surrounding dying and death. This tradition will be contextualised within the thought and praxis of the Scriptures and early church, as well as the treatment of dying and death in different epochs of western civilisation over the past 2,000 years- as reflected in philosophy, literature, art and community life- culminating in the "death-denying" culture of the 20th century and the crises and ethical dilemmas surrounding death in the early 21st century. Students should emerge from the class able to articulate a thoughtful Orthodox Christian response - both in terms of theology and pastoral practice- to issues of human life, dying and death today.