PHIL 230 - Death & Dying

3 Credit: (3 lecture, 0 lab, 0 clinical) 3 Contact Hours:

1. Examine various religious understandings of death and mortality.
2. Examine commonalities between religious understandings.
3. Explain differences between religious understandings.

Goal 2:  Compare and contrast theoretical understandings of death and the meaning of human mortality.

1. Examine various theoretical understandings of death and mortality.
2. Examine commonalities between theoretical understandings.
3. Explain differences between theoretical understandings.

Goal 3:  Examine death and dying in varying contexts.

1. Examine how cultural constructs influence resources, interpretations and individual and communal responses to death and dying.
2. Explain how institutions influence interpretations of death and dying. 

Goal 4:  Analyze methods of coming to terms with death and grief.

1. Examine destructive methods of coming to terms with death and grief.
2.  Examine constructive methods of coming to terms with death and grief.
3. Examine death and grief at various life stages.
4. Examine death and grief in various cultural contexts.
5. Examine death and grief in various social contexts.
6. Examine death and grief in various family contexts.

Goal 5:  Explain the role of ritual in responding to death.

1. Examine various ways the care taking of the body are constructed and given meaning.
2. Examine various ways the disposal of the body are constructed and given meaning.

Goal 6:  Explore important current issues connected with death and dying.  

1. Analyze relevant religious issues.
2. Analyze relevant ethical issues.