Since for humans to have life means to know that death is inevitable, learning
how to die is a lesson we all must learn. In this endeavor our culture gives
us conflicting signals about our dying. On the one hand, death is understood
to be an enemy of our control over our fate, and is, therefore, an indignity;
and on the other hand, death is understood as a natural part of life, a friend
whose coming we should embrace. This presentation deals with the tension between
death as friend and death as foe from the perspectives of the narratives of
dying patients, providing insights on learning to "die well." Dr. Meilaender
holds the Board of Directors Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University.
He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Religious Ethics.
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