2010 Theses Bachelor's

Religion's Positive Relationship with the Bereavement Process

Irwin, Aviva

As a Modern Orthodox Jew I have been acculturated into a society which has many laws regarding mourning and bereavement for both the relatives of the deceased and the community at large. It has often made me wonder if all religions have such intrinsic laws regarding bereavement. Furthermore, I have frequently heard the claim that Judaism’s laws regarding bereavement are very similar to processes espoused by psychologists. I wanted to see if this is an accurate view of Judaism and whether other religions have similar approaches to bereavement. Finally, as a Psychology major and Religion minor the interplay between religion and psychology is of special interest to me. The many aspects of bereavement, the beliefs and the activities associated with this topic, felt like the ideal subject with which to address the interplay between religion and psychology.