Religious Literacy in Hospice Care

Panagiotis Pentaris is a Senior Lecturer for the Department of Psychology, Social Work and Counselling at the University of Greenwich. He is also a Postdoc Research Fellow for the Faiths & Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. Panagiotis is a thanatologist, as well as a qualified social worker with specialty in hospice social work and clinical social work in end of life care. His research stretches from death policies to professional practice, and he has researched extensively about religion, belief and spirituality in end of life care.

• List of figuresList of tablesAcknowledgementsList of abbreviationsIntroductionConversations about deathSpiritual careIntroducing this bookOverview of the chaptersReferencesPART IHospice care and changing religious landscape1 Religion, belief and spirituality in hospice careIntroductionHospice movementSpirituality and hospice careThe spiritual dimension of modern hospice careIn summaryReferences2 Religion and belief: A changing landscapeIntroductionMigrationReligious plurality and diversificationReligious decline, secularisation and desecularisationSecularisation and professional practiseImplications of religious pluralityReferences3 Tracing religion in health and death policyIntroductionWhat policy says about religion and belief in dyingReligion and belief in healthcare: A new designConcluding thoughtsReferencesPART IINegotiating belief in hospice care4 Belief in the spaceIntroductionReligion and materialityReligion and belief in the spaceConcluding thoughtsReferences5 Hospice professionals and religionIntroductionSeparating religion from spiritualityThe role of religion in societyReligion, belief, spirituality and dyingThe role of religion, belief and spirituality for service usersReferences6 Hospice professionals and religious literacyIntroductionKnowledge and understanding of religion and beliefSkills and abilities to engage with religion and beliefReferences7 Integrating religion and belief in hospice careIntroductionDeath and health policiesAssessmentsNeutral spacesReligious networkingCommemorative practisesConcluding thoughtsReferencesPART IIIReligious literacy in hospice care8 Religious literacy in hospice careIntroductionReligious literacy in hospice careReligious literacy model for hospice careConcluding noteReferencesConclusionsImplications for social policyImplications for professional practiseFinal thoughtsReferencesIndex