Spirituality and Ageing

Is there a spirituality for the elderly? Gerald W. Hughes; To live is to change, Jeffrey W. Harris; The spirituality of old age, Anthony of Sourozh; Inner resources for growing older, Helen Oppenheimer; One Quaker's perspective, Muriel Bishop Summers; The Lord's Prayer - a prayer of the ageing, James A. Crampsey; Harvesting a lifetime, Jenny Goodman; Ageing in the light of death, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi; Death and dementia, Margaret Goodall; Memory, personhood and faith, Paul H. Wilson; Joy in the moment - immediacy and ultimacy in dementia, C. Mary Austin; Dementia - a challenge to Christian theology and pastoral care, Malcolm Goldsmith; Some spiritual and ethical issues in community care for frail elderly people, Phyllida Parsloe; Spirituality, ageing and gender, Professor Ursula King; Spirituality and ageing in British Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, Shirley Firth.

This book serves many significant purposes, not the least of which is keeping before us the presence of the elderly, the rights and needs of the elderly, and the spiritual wealth borne by many of them if we are willing to respect the treasure and accompany it through their journey and ours. We are reminded that ""Trying to think deeply about the meaning and purpose of life is to engage in a religious quest"" (p.25) This expression neither begins nor ends at age 65. The book is a wealth of resources in its collective essays and will speak much to us who professionally (and personally) dwell with older adults.