Performing the good death: the medieval<i>Ars moriendi</i>and contemporary doctors

Thornton, Karen; Phillips, Christine

doi:10.1136/jmh.2009.001693

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…Other scenes were more gruesome, showing the sorrowful sighs of a sinner at his death, encouraging those present not to follow his bad example. The ars moriendi was a set of Christian rules; the brief written manual and visual depictions of death through the arts provided guidance for dying and meeting expectations of both the divine and the church ( Thornton & Phillips, 2009 ). Death could be controlled and measured.…”

Section: Cultural/historical Views On Deathmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dying alone and lonely dying: Media discourse and pandemic conditions

Nelson-Becker

Chapot

2020

Journal of Aging Studies

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Background and objectives This paper explores current concerns and practice related to older people dying alone in Intensive Care Units, care homes, and at home through media discussions during the Covid-19 pandemic and before. It addresses the historically-situated concept of a good death and a bad death and suggests why dying alone, whether completely alone or without significant others physically present, may be considered a bad death. Methods As evidence for collective fears about dying alone, we explored the treatment of these deaths in media using headline examples from the US New York Times and the English Guardian newspaper from the 19th century through Sept. 2020. Results A search of the New York Times located 39 articles with either lonely dying or lonely death in the headline. The Guardian had 25 articles with use of the term, but unlike the New York Times, no obituaries were included. Although the deaths profiled were deemed unusual, deaths by suicide were only minimally classed as dying alone. The condition of dying alone is represented as a stigmatised death. Themes addressed: 1) dying alone is a nonnormative event; 2) this death matters; and 3) where people die alone, societies should honour the death and learn from it. Discussion and implications Contemporary dying involves conditions for which we are unprepared as a society. We seldom address our civic obligations to each other. Few people have discussed their wishes about their preferences in dying and whether and how they want to be accompanied at their death, if possible. This is an invisible constraint of modern healthcare. Because of limited discussions and preparation, these deaths may lead to disenfranchised grief for the mourners. Cultural and societal responses to lonely dying are important in easing the emotional burden of dying alone, helping individuals prepare for this possibility and better integrating death with the life course. Recommendations include inclusion of accompaniment/nonaccompaniment at death as part of advance care planning and mitigation if this condition occurs. It is essential for individuals to find their own still point of acceptance within competing societal narratives of privileging the self in dying alone and the value of social connection.

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Section: Cultural/historical Views On Deathmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dying alone and lonely dying: Media discourse and pandemic conditions

Nelson-Becker

Chapot

2020

Journal of Aging Studies

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“…The Ars Moriendi was published in the 1400s to guide Christian families in planning and creating a pleasant death. It warned against faithlessness, despair, impatience, vanity, and avarice as well as other temptations (Thornton and Phillips, 2009;Leget, 2007).…”

Section: Christianity and Deathmentioning

confidence: 99%

Similar Attitudes Toward Death among Muslims and Christians in Iraq

Ahmed¹

2022

GPA

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Objective: Knowing people's attitudes towards death is useful in examining people's level of flexibility, problem management, and self-care. The religious and related cultural background of a person may affect their attitude towards death. The current study evaluated Christian and Muslim respondents' attitudes towards death in Iraqi society. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 individuals from the two main religious groups (Muslim and Christian) were groupmatched for gender, age, marital status, and personal monthly income. The attitude towards death was measured through a death attitude profile-revised questionnaire, and findings were analysed using SPSS version 20 by applying Pearson correlation and central tendencies. Results: Findings revealed that both religions' followers have no major fear of death and, at the same time, a reasonable approach to acceptance towards death. Overall, religion had no significant effect on participant attitudes towards death, which means both religions' followers share the same approaches and attitudes towards death. Conclusion:From the current research work, it can be concluded that there is no significant impact of religion on individual attitudes towards death and both religions' followers have no major death anxiety. Muslims and Christians have reasonably accepting attitudes towards death as indicated by five-dimensional attitudes toward death scores. Future studies should focus on a larger population from different cultures and religious backgrounds to generalise these findings to other populations and cultural settings.

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“…In both, it is important to die surrounded by family members. They denote the need for physicians to become more mindful about helping patients have a good death (Thornton & Phillips, 2009). Ballnus examines and proposes the idea that the creation of hospices for the terminally ill and dying patients was first introduced in the textbook of the Ars Moriendi (Ballnus, 1995).…”

Section: Though We Have Not Found Any Articles That Directlymentioning

confidence: 99%