Science and Religion in the Context of a Good Death

The desire to improve end-of-life care has driven an increase in research to understand people’s preferences and choices when faced with death. Drawing from interviews with 48 religious and non-religious people, we examine how respondents explain the interactions and participation of medical science and religion in constructing what respondents describe as a good death. Respondents draw from religious and scientific toolkits when narrating an ideal death. We find that both religious and non-religious respondents frame a good death as peaceful. In addition, the boundaries between science and religion are malleable for respondents who perceive them as complementary. In constructing a good death, a few of our respondents view science and religion as separate and without collaboration. Religious and non-religious people share beliefs in the afterlife, illustrating overlap of religious and scientific toolkits. For non-religious people, the afterlife is not mediated by the imminent. Results show that services and choices made in end-of-life care are partly informed by how people perceive the interactions and boundaries between science and religion. Results have implications for end-of-life care, indicating that it should be tailored to the needs and expectations of clients, especially non-religious people whose spiritual needs are often neglected.

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