Религията в живота на възрастните хора
Religion in the Life of Older People

Summary/Abstract: Religion has been an important part of older people's lives in most human cultures, but has been surprisingly neglected in post-war studies of ageing. Much of the recent renewal of interest has taken placed in the US and has focused on the role of religious belief and practice in sustaining physical and mental health. However what is needed is more understanding of how the different religious faiths, as well as alternative secular philosophies of life, sustain meaning in life when faced with the existential challenges of loss that accompany ageing. We cite as examples our own studies which highlight the various ways in which religion can sustain older people following bereavement of spouse. We need more studies of the role of religion in ageing in different societies with varied historical experiences, of the decline and recovery of traditional religion as well as of the development of new forms of spiritual practice.

• Details
• Contents