Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Publication Title

Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging

Volume

31

Issue

2

Pages

153-167

Publisher Name

Taylor and Francis

Publisher Location

United Kingdom

Abstract

Ritual returns us to the center of who we are. In times of transition, loss, disconnection, and loneliness, ritual offers transformative power. It can provide a language for expression, stability, serve an integrating force in community, mediate tradition, and offer emotional support. This article explores the need for ritual in coping with late life changes, the relationship of ritual to suffering, value of ritual in storytelling and mourning, and explains the role of witness facilitated through community. Therapeutic functions of ritual are addressed and a framework for ritual design is suggested.

Comments

Author Posting © The Authors, 2018. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The definitive version was published in Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2018.1532858

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