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RELIGIOSITY AND THE CHALLENGE OF TERMINAL ILLNESS 

Author: Pam McGrath a
Affiliation:   a Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton, Australia.
DOI: 10.1080/716100343
Publication Frequency: 10 issues per year
Published in: journal Death Studies, Volume 27, Issue 10 December 2003 , pages 881 - 899
Number of References: 68
Formats available: PDF (English)
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Abstract

One of the assumptions that underpins the literature on spirituality is the belief that facing a terminal illness is a life crisis that intensifies the search for meaning, leaving individuals predisposed to embrace religion. To date, however, there is scant empirical research on the topic. This article seeks to make a contribution to this topic by reporting findings from a qualitative study that address the question of whether individuals embrace religious beliefs when faced with the challenge of a serious illness. The data were gathered from open-ended interviews with 14 hospice patients, audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. The findings indicate the majority did not seek religious comfort or conversion as a response to the challenge of terminal illness, even when this was seen as desirable. Although participants were not actively inspired to be religious as a result of their illness, they did hold a number of spiritual perspectives that were actively at play.
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