Prayers and Rituals at a Time of Illness and Dying: The Practices of Five World Religions

In the course of caring for the ill or dying, health care professionals are sometimes the only ones available to provide spiritual comfort to their patients. In our modern pluralistic society, where patients could come from any number of religious traditions, it can often be difficult to find exactly the right words in these situations.

Prayers and Rituals at a Time of Illness and Dying: The Practices of Five World Religions by experienced physician and theologian Pat Fosarelli offers clear instructions for health care professionals on how to better understand the needs of their Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish patients during these difficult times. Devoting separate chapters to each tradition, Fosarelli briefly outlines the basic beliefs and then looks at the main tenets of each religion, exploring the varied approaches that they take to illness and end-of-life issues. For each tradition, she also describes practices and offers suitable prayers. Each chapter suggests modifications that may be necessary for Western hospitals, modifications for children, and specific suggestions about what not to do or say in respect to different faith traditions.

This easy-to-use, pocket-sized resource will be referenced again and again by physicians, paramedics, hospital and military chaplains, pastoral counselors, hospice providers, and other medical professionals.

• Whatever You Do for the Least of These: Ministering to Ill and Dying Children and Their Families
• World Religions for Healthcare Professionals
• Speaking of Dying: Recovering The Church's Voice In The Face Of Death
• Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning
• Religion and Magic in the Life of Traditional Peoples
• Social Causes of Health and Disease
• Shared Wisdom
• Handbook for Chaplains: Comfort My People
• On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families
• Interfaith Ministry Handbook: Prayers, Readings and Other Resources for Pastoral Settings