Glory in suffering? A reflection on finding meaning in grief through an interrogation into the phenomenology of suffering

ABSTRACT

An exploration into how our current understanding of grief and grieving in practical theology can be transformed when viewed through the lens of suffering. This article will utilise a comparative discussion of contemporary literature in the fields of thanatology, psychology and practical theology, contextualising key themes which emerge from the research with autoethnographic reflective observations of my own experience of grief following the traumatic and unexpected loss of a friend to a road traffic accident. It is hoped that the themes explored through these reflective passages will inform a re-reading of grief from a phenomenological perspective, which pays attention to the lived experience of suffering and highlights the embodied nature of grief. In considering grief as a form of suffering, this discussion aims to provide a space in which we may develop a more holistic approach to our treatment of grief in current discourse.

KEYWORDS:

• Bereavement
• grief
• suffering
• embodiment
• practical theology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Eilidh Campbell is a doctoral student of Practical Theology at the University of Glasgow. Having completed a joint Honors in Sociology and Theology, her research interests are primarily focused in the fields of gender, health and disability. Eilidh currently works in a third sector organisation supporting children's and adolescents mental health.

Notes

1 Whilst it is important to highlight the relationship between theodicy and grief suffering as an important element in the grief conversation, examining the dynamics of this would explore a separate element of grief than is the focus of this article. As such, I have chosen to touch only briefly upon this in later pages, as the trajectory of my argument concerns a shift away from this model towards a more phenomenological approach to grief suffering as a lived experience.

2 Since Kubler-Ross’s model, research is increasingly challenging the eurocentrism of traditional grief paradigms, in favour of models which more sensitively account for cultural differences in grieving and coping processes (Stroebe and Schut 1999).

3 The issue of embodiment is bound up with the gendered, racial and cultural significance of the body. An embodied experience will doubtless be one which is strongly influenced by these factors, however, these influences are too diverse and complex to be explored adequately within the scope of this article. Similarly, the gendered dynamics of grieving is a significant area of further study. Whilst Stroebe and Schut challenge current research paradigms as representing ‘a female model’ of grieving (1999), this question requires exploration of issues such as the gendered acceptability of emotional expression, and heteronormative constructions of ‘gendered’ social roles which may not adequately represent the experience of LGBTQ individuals.