Religion/spirituality and change in meaning after bereavement: Qualitative evidence for the meaning making mode
Shattered Assumptions
This article reviews the qualitative research regarding religion/spirituality and bereavement to examine the complicated interplay of religion/spirituality and meaning in times of stress. It argues that bereavement is a significant stressor with the potential to ‘shatter assumptions’ about the benevolence and meaningfulness of the world and one’s place in it.
Assimilating Loss
This article highlights how religious/spiritual meaning making systems can help the bereaved find comfort and stability through assimilating loss into their worldview without needing to search for meaning.
Loss of faith
On the other hand, the authors explore how others may struggle to reconcile the loss of a loved one with belief in an omnipotent, benevolent God, leading them to question the meaning of the loss and potentially the validity of their religious/spiritual worldviews. This can lead to loss of faith, but it can also lead to religious/spiritual growth if such challenges are resolved.
Comment:
This article contributes to the corpus based in the global north related to religious coping. This study makes an original contribution to this literature detailing the ways in which meaning, an important pathway through which religion/spirituality influence adjustment following bereavement, changes as part of the meaning making process.
