Spiritual Ends: Religion and the Heart of Dying in Japan

The book "Spiritual Ends" explores how religion plays a role in end-of-life care in Japan, drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with hospice patients, chaplains, and medical workers. It shows how hospice caregivers are appropriating and reinterpreting global ideas about spirituality and the practice of spiritual care, and how Japanese religious groups have pursued vocational roles in medical institutions to demonstrate a "healthy" role in society.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 20 December 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

Spiritual Ends: Exploring the Role of Religion at the End of Life in Japan

In Japan, the end of life is a deeply contemplative and spiritual journey, where religion plays a significant role in providing comfort and support to the dying. This captivating book, Spiritual Ends, delves into the intricate tapestry of how spiritual care is offered to hospice patients, chaplains, and medical workers in Japan. Through ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews, author Timothy O. Benedict offers a profound and intimate portrayal of the spiritual landscape at the end of life in Japan.

Drawing from both local and cross-cultural perspectives, Benedict explores how hospice caregivers in Japan are appropriating and reinterpreting global ideas about spirituality and the practice of spiritual care. He reveals how hospice caregivers are adapting and integrating these ideas into their practices, creating a unique and deeply meaningful approach to end-of-life care. Benedict's analysis sheds light on the ways in which Japanese religious groups have pursued vocational roles in medical institutions, seeking to demonstrate a "healthy" role in society. By paying close attention to the care of the kokoro (heart or mind), Benedict demonstrates how spiritual care is intricately linked to the practice of holistic healing.

This book not only enriches our understanding of religious identity in Japan but also offers valuable insights into global conversations on the ways religion, spirituality, and medicine intersect at death. Spiritual Ends provides a rich and nuanced perspective, shedding light on the cultural and spiritual nuances that shape end-of-life care in Japan and contributing to a broader understanding of the complex interplay between faith, medicine, and death across different cultures.

In conclusion, Spiritual Ends is a groundbreaking work that offers a profound exploration of the role of religion at the end of life in Japan. Through meticulous research and thoughtful analysis, Benedict provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of death, spirituality, and the human experience. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of religion, culture, and medicine, and its insights will undoubtedly inspire and inform future research and practice in this field.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520388666