Reviewed Book: Droege, Thomas A. Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief Ministry and Death Education. New York: Paulist Press, 1987

Ross, Christopher F. J.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 16Issue 1 Hermeneutics: Theory and Practice Article 205-1-1990Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for GriefMinistry and Death EducationChristopher F. J. RossFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationRoss, Christopher F. J. (1990) "Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief Ministry and Death Education," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 1 ,Article 20.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss1/20Book Reviews 129of “deadly sins” with the good news of the “saving virtues” as the pathwaysof life.Peter L. VanKatwykInterfaith Pastoral Counselling CentreKitchener, OntarioGuided Grief Imagery: A Resource For Grief Ministryand Death EducationThomas A. DroegeMahwah, New York: Paulist Press, 1987178 pp.Carl Jung, when he Wcls asked by the British TV host whether he be-lieved in the existence of God, replied “No, Mr. Freeman, I know'\ Jung’sfamous rejoinder speaks to our modern western preoccupation—both reli-gious and secular—with propositions and an overly intellectual approachto truth. Thomas Droege ’s excellent book on using imagery to help us facedeath serves to rectify our imaginative impoverishment while yet affirmingthe core of the Christian tradition. The author rehabilitates our capacityto image the real in the domain of death and grief, that is neglected in ourtechnologized churches and society.This is a book for pastors, counselors and educators and any committedjourneyer who thinks death, grief and loss are too important an ingredientof life’s journey to be left to reason and doctrine alone. Guided imageryand the experiential journaling approach of Ira Progrof are integrated witha variety of death-related material drawn from Christian liturgies and bib-lical material including narratives from the Pentateuch and the Gospels,the pastoral issues of the Pauline Epistles, as well as the existential excla-mations that constitute the Psalms.This book is both comprehensive in scope and rich in detail. Chapterone and five ground the use of imagery in a coherent psychological andtheological framework. In the third chapter Droege refocuses us from ourcultural thanatological myopia as he outlines historical shifts in the popularimages used for facing death over two millennia. This is the best summary Iknow of Philip Aries’ The Hour of Our Death. Four main historical phasesare described. Evidently until the seventh century the early Christians forthe most part seemed comfortable with “nearness to death” sustained bythe alarming warmth of the Paschal Mystery and affection for the earlymartyrs and their burial sites. Greater awareness of the individual self inmedieval times was accompanied by a preoccupation with the fate of thesoul at death together with a fear of a legalistic judgement. The horror130 Consensuscontained in many medieval images may help explain the modern world’sdesire to deny death by flexing its technological muscles and largely es-chewing the topic. The intervening Enlightenment phcise is presented assentimentalizing death with its focus on the death of “the other” and withheaven depicted as the place for a happy reunion with the loved one. Thisthird chapter may help the pastor and educator deal with the variety ofattitudinal strains which influence individuals’ approach to death.While challenging in the impact of its enthusiastically advocated expe-riential methods, this book is not the work of a self-conscious iconoclast.Rather the writer allows us to rediscover the richness of resources withinthe Christian tradition for dealing with death authentically. Chapter fourmines the liturgies of the church, not only the funeral liturgy but also bap-tism, the Easter Vigil, and Lutheran hymnody. The abundant quotationsand commentary effortlessly demonstrate that the power of imagery lies inits ambiguity. For example water can both drown us and cleanse us; themountain can be both wilderness and the place where we are nearer thelight of the Divine.Whereas part one is for those who desire a firm foundation for anyinnovative practice, part two provides detailed guidelines for those timidabout using guided imagery to deal with death directly for themselves andthose they serve. (Of course good preachers incorporate imagery routinely!)The book contains a total of thirty-three full-text image-journeys that maybe used for worship services, Bible study, retreats or for work with specialgroups. A number of grief-related topics are covered using different biblicaland non-biblical images. Separate chapters are devoted to material fromthe Psalms and New Testament. The last chapters provide descriptions thatallow the leader to choose a death-related issue that is appropriate to theneeds of the clciss, congregation, family, or individual. There are image-journeys for the anticipation of one’s own death, the past or anticipateddeath of loved ones, or the experience of traumatic loss or threat that mayconstitute, according to Droege, a “mini death’^.While this is definitely not just a cook book, its value as reference andresource would be enhanced by a subject index. Moreover, some discussionof the death education movement within and without the church wouldbe welcome. It might address the reservations of some people that thedeath education movement is an attempt by modern science and religion totechnologize the transcendence of death and to create yet another task thatmodern humans have to do well. As one person put it, “Now I even have todie well”. R.C. Johnston’s Confronting Death: Psycho-religious Responseswill provide balance, however, for the neophyte.Book Reviews 131By the end of the book it is clear that Droege’s enthusiasm for the imag-inal approach to death is no vain effort at control, but a means of accessingthe profound opportunity of human life through the multiplex images ofthe Paschal Mystery that lies at the heart of the Christian tradition.Christopher F.J. RossWilfrid Laurier UniversityThe Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text: Inter-preting and Preaching Biblical LiteratureSidney GreidanusGrand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1988xvi -p 374 pp.This book is an excellent presentation of a conservative Evangelicalunderstanding of biblical preaching. Greidanus is Professor of Theology atThe King’s College in Edmonton, Alberta, and his concern is to furthersound and authoritative preaching of the Bible. Well and widely read inboth disciplines (23 pages of “Select Bibliography”) he seeks here “to bridgethe gap between the department of biblical studies and that of homiletics”(xi).In a time of strident—and sometimes vicious—argumentation in favorof biblical inerrancy and against any historical- critical methods, it is re-freshing to observe a conservative scholar carefully evaluating source, form,redaction, rhetorical, and canonical criticisms, noting strengths as well asweaknesses, and appropriating their respective usefulnesses for expositorypreaching. And it is salutary to experience Greidanus’ steadfast emphaseson the integrity of the text, the overarching theocentricity of the Bible,the need for a holistic approach to interpretation, and respect for the im-portance of preaching as derived from the kerygmatic nature of Scriptureitself.The initial chapter presents the familiar Evangelical emphasis onpreaching the Scriptures (vis-a-vis the Lutheran emphasis on using theScriptures to preach the Gospel): “If preachers wish to preach with divineauthority, they must proclaim the message of the inspired Scriptures, forthe Scriptures alone are the word of God written; the Scriptures alone havedivine authority” (12). Preaching, therefore—by definition— is expositorypreaching, the “plain meaning” of which is “to exposit the Word of God”( 10).Three categories or dimensions of interpretation guide and control ex-position and preaching. (1) Literary Interpretation (ch. 3), in which “oneseeks to ciscertain the meaning of the passage by focussing on the words”(297), includes not only such methods as source, form, redaction, rhetorical.

Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief Ministry and Death Education

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 16
Issue 1 Hermeneutics: Theory and Practice Article 20
5-1-1990
Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief
Ministry and Death Education
Christopher F. J. Ross
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Ross, Christopher F. J. (1990) "Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource for Grief Ministry and Death Education," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 1 ,
Article 20.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss1/20
Book Reviews 129
of “deadly sins” with the good news of the “saving virtues” as the pathways
of life.
Peter L. VanKatwyk
Interfaith Pastoral Counselling Centre
Kitchener, Ontario
Guided Grief Imagery: A Resource For Grief Ministry
and Death Education
Thomas A. Droege
Mahwah, New York: Paulist Press, 1987
178 pp.
Carl Jung, when he Wcls asked by the British TV host whether he be-
lieved in the existence of God, replied “No, Mr. Freeman, I know'\ Jung’s
famous rejoinder speaks to our modern western preoccupation—both reli-
gious and secular—with propositions and an overly intellectual approach
to truth. Thomas Droege ’s excellent book on using imagery to help us face
death serves to rectify our imaginative impoverishment while yet affirming
the core of the Christian tradition. The author rehabilitates our capacity
to image the real in the domain of death and grief, that is neglected in our
technologized churches and society.
This is a book for pastors, counselors and educators and any committed
journeyer who thinks death, grief and loss are too important an ingredient
of life’s journey to be left to reason and doctrine alone. Guided imagery
and the experiential journaling approach of Ira Progrof are integrated with
a variety of death-related material drawn from Christian liturgies and bib-
lical material including narratives from the Pentateuch and the Gospels,
the pastoral issues of the Pauline Epistles, as well as the existential excla-
mations that constitute the Psalms.
This book is both comprehensive in scope and rich in detail. Chapter
one and five ground the use of imagery in a coherent psychological and
theological framework. In the third chapter Droege refocuses us from our
cultural thanatological myopia as he outlines historical shifts in the popular
images used for facing death over two millennia. This is the best summary I
know of Philip Aries’ The Hour of Our Death. Four main historical phases
are described. Evidently until the seventh century the early Christians for
the most part seemed comfortable with “nearness to death” sustained by
the alarming warmth of the Paschal Mystery and affection for the early
martyrs and their burial sites. Greater awareness of the individual self in
medieval times was accompanied by a preoccupation with the fate of the
soul at death together with a fear of a legalistic judgement. The horror
130 Consensus
contained in many medieval images may help explain the modern world’s
desire to deny death by flexing its technological muscles and largely es-
chewing the topic. The intervening Enlightenment phcise is presented as
sentimentalizing death with its focus on the death of “the other” and with
heaven depicted as the place for a happy reunion with the loved one. This
third chapter may help the pastor and educator deal with the variety of
attitudinal strains which influence individuals’ approach to death.
While challenging in the impact of its enthusiastically advocated expe-
riential methods, this book is not the work of a self-conscious iconoclast.
Rather the writer allows us to rediscover the richness of resources within
the Christian tradition for dealing with death authentically. Chapter four
mines the liturgies of the church, not only the funeral liturgy but also bap-
tism, the Easter Vigil, and Lutheran hymnody. The abundant quotations
and commentary effortlessly demonstrate that the power of imagery lies in
its ambiguity. For example water can both drown us and cleanse us; the
mountain can be both wilderness and the place where we are nearer the
light of the Divine.
Whereas part one is for those who desire a firm foundation for any
innovative practice, part two provides detailed guidelines for those timid
about using guided imagery to deal with death directly for themselves and
those they serve. (Of course good preachers incorporate imagery routinely!)
The book contains a total of thirty-three full-text image-journeys that may
be used for worship services, Bible study, retreats or for work with special
groups. A number of grief-related topics are covered using different biblical
and non-biblical images. Separate chapters are devoted to material from
the Psalms and New Testament. The last chapters provide descriptions that
allow the leader to choose a death-related issue that is appropriate to the
needs of the clciss, congregation, family, or individual. There are image-
journeys for the anticipation of one’s own death, the past or anticipated
death of loved ones, or the experience of traumatic loss or threat that may
constitute, according to Droege, a “mini death’^.
While this is definitely not just a cook book, its value as reference and
resource would be enhanced by a subject index. Moreover, some discussion
of the death education movement within and without the church would
be welcome. It might address the reservations of some people that the
death education movement is an attempt by modern science and religion to
technologize the transcendence of death and to create yet another task that
modern humans have to do well. As one person put it, “Now I even have to
die well”. R.C. Johnston’s Confronting Death: Psycho-religious Responses
will provide balance, however, for the neophyte.
Book Reviews 131
By the end of the book it is clear that Droege’s enthusiasm for the imag-
inal approach to death is no vain effort at control, but a means of accessing
the profound opportunity of human life through the multiplex images of
the Paschal Mystery that lies at the heart of the Christian tradition.
Christopher F.J. Ross
Wilfrid Laurier University
The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text: Inter-
preting and Preaching Biblical Literature
Sidney Greidanus
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1988
xvi -p 374 pp.
This book is an excellent presentation of a conservative Evangelical
understanding of biblical preaching. Greidanus is Professor of Theology at
The King’s College in Edmonton, Alberta, and his concern is to further
sound and authoritative preaching of the Bible. Well and widely read in
both disciplines (23 pages of “Select Bibliography”) he seeks here “to bridge
the gap between the department of biblical studies and that of homiletics”
(xi).
In a time of strident—and sometimes vicious—argumentation in favor
of biblical inerrancy and against any historical- critical methods, it is re-
freshing to observe a conservative scholar carefully evaluating source, form,
redaction, rhetorical, and canonical criticisms, noting strengths as well as
weaknesses, and appropriating their respective usefulnesses for expository
preaching. And it is salutary to experience Greidanus’ steadfast emphases
on the integrity of the text, the overarching theocentricity of the Bible,
the need for a holistic approach to interpretation, and respect for the im-
portance of preaching as derived from the kerygmatic nature of Scripture
itself.
The initial chapter presents the familiar Evangelical emphasis on
preaching the Scriptures (vis-a-vis the Lutheran emphasis on using the
Scriptures to preach the Gospel): “If preachers wish to preach with divine
authority, they must proclaim the message of the inspired Scriptures, for
the Scriptures alone are the word of God written; the Scriptures alone have
divine authority” (12). Preaching, therefore—by definition— is expository
preaching, the “plain meaning” of which is “to exposit the Word of God”
( 10).
Three categories or dimensions of interpretation guide and control ex-
position and preaching. (1) Literary Interpretation (ch. 3), in which “one
seeks to ciscertain the meaning of the passage by focussing on the words”
(297), includes not only such methods as source, form, redaction, rhetorical.


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