Religion in an Ageing Society The Role and Challenges of Religious Belonging in an Ageing Society

Two convictions underlie this book. The first is that religious communities in a secular, pluralist society with an ageing population share some important features and respond to the challenges in similar ways. The second is that aged people may share a spirituality, insights and wisdom regardless of which religious group (if any) formally claims their allegiance. For these reasons, there are important lessons to be learned by viewing ageing through the lens of religion, and vice versa. This book considers the relationship between ageing and religious belonging not just from the perspective of the individual and their carer(s), but from that of the religious community as a whole. Ground-breaking essays on key themes setting the global context of religion and aging in 21st century developed societies, are accompanied by shorter and more accessible chapters on practical topics arising from the relationship of religious communities to ageing in contemporary western settings.

Contents:

Peter Kevern is a theologian by background and training, recruited to the faculty of Health on the strength of his research interest and publications record in issues related to dementia. His current research is conducted as part of the Faculty's Centre for Ageing and Mental Health. He has experience of a wide range of religious practices as a result of a period spent studying Buddhism in Sri Lanka as a young man; and a total of 13 years as a Franciscan Brother including 6 years in a Papuan New Guinea village. Paul Kingston, Professor of Ageing and Mental Health and Director of the Centre for Ageing and Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Staffordshire University, UK Susan Benbow, Professor of Mental Health & Ageing, Centre for Ageing & Mental Health, Staffordshire University, UK