Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity International University, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-113).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 187).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-127, 134-137).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-125).

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-65).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 187).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 139-140.

Familial bereavement is recognized as a considerable life crisis (Strobe & Hanson, 2001). Furthermore, bereaved parents are more likely to be at risk for having long lasting, and intense psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and even suicide (Darbyshire, 2013; Omerove et.al, 2013). Losing a child is a devastating experience, which dramatically changes the parents’ lives (Darbyshire, 2013; Oliver, 1999; Omerove et.al, 2013). Although much research has addressed the experiences of bereaved parents, and has come up with themes related to coping experiences, the research is still restricted to the western world, and has yet not intensely addressed the cross-cultural aspect. Although limiting this study to adherents of the three Abrahamic religions in the U.S. is still restricted in some way to the western world, in other ways it opens the door to understanding parental bereavement differences across three religions. Spirituality, religiosity, perceived social support, and marital relationship have been found to be buffers to grief; yet, it is not clear how essential these variables are to the bereaved parents across different religions. The current cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship among adjustment and other factors (spirituality, religiosity, perceived social support, and marital relationship) that might influence adjustment to bereavement among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim bereaved parents. A cross-sectional online survey was launched from January to February 2016 to measure participants’ baseline adjustment, spirituality, religiosity, perceived social support, and marital relationship. A diverse group of 145 bereaved parents participated in this study, including 65 religious Christians (44.83%), 41 religious Jews (28.28%), and 39 religious Muslims (26.90%) with an average age of 44 (SD = 12.80). The results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the three religious groups in terms of their adjustment, religiosity spirituality, perceived social support, and marital relationship. Muslims were found to have higher baseline rates of all study constructs more than Jewish and Christian bereaved parents. The results indicated only perceived social support and spirituality significantly predicted the adjustment level among the bereaved parents when holding all other terms constant. Whereas only perceived social support and religious involvement significantly predicted the marital relationship level among the bereaved parents when holding all other terms constant. These results shed light on some important implications for counselor educators and particularly for practitioners working with the bereaved parents populations. Limitations and recommendations for further research are also suggested.

This thesis argues that Christian bereavement care needs to proceed from a solid biblical foundation in determining the goal (receiving comfort from God), model (by focusing on communion with God), and method of care (through narrative and relationship) to guard against secular influences and to bring soul-satisfying comfort to the bereaved. Chapter 1 introduces the thesis. Chapter 2 critically evaluates contemporary bereavement care approaches. Chapter 3 explores the human experience of grief by examining autobiographical narratives and God’s account of the origin of grief in the Genesis narrative. Chapter 4 develops the argument for a theocentric and Christocentric approach. A proposed bereavement care framework is derived from the way Jesus relates to the bereaved and God. Chapter 5 offers practical guidelines on caring for the bereaved using eight relational steps. Chapter 6 concludes by drawing together the arguments to demonstrate how employing narrative in Christian bereavement care effectively connects the bereaved with the heart of God.

Bereaved parents face many challenges after the death of their child and often turn to professional support services, including the field of social work for support and assistance. In the field of social work, there is not a lot of research and education regarding bereaved parents. Through a critical discourse analysis (CDA), academic social work materials are analyzed to gain a basis for understanding how social work students are educated about bereaved parents, as this impacts social work students’ future practice with bereaved parents. The CDA reveals that there are several hidden discourses of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ grief, which marginalize, ostracize and pathologize bereaved parents. There are also discourses of expertise, both the bereaved parent as the expert and the social worker as the expert. The discourse that bereaved parents are experts is less common. Implications of all of these discourses for social work practice is discussed. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)