based on “love is stronger than death” (kreeft). what is death? “the mystery of death”...
Post on 17-Dec-2015
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Three Key Questions
What is death? “The mystery of death” (Pope John Paul II) What does it mean to die? When does death begin?
Why do we die? In what way is death the “end” of life?
What is the meaning of life? Death concentrates the mind Death puts life into question Don Quixote: Not “Why was I dying?” but
“Why am I living?”
Kübler-Ross
The stages of grief Denial: “This can’t be happening” Anger: “Why me? It’s not fair” Bargaining: “I’ll do anything to live a few more
years” Depression: “I’m going to die soon; what’s the
point” Acceptance: “I might as well prepare”
Explains what people go through
Five Faces of Death
“Death wears five face” Not the five stages of grief Not necessarily seen in order
Explains the way death presents itself Enemy: Something we fear Stranger: Something we ignore Friend: Something we can deal with Mother: Something that gives birth to life Lover: Something we willingly embrace
Five Faces
The first three faces are accepted by all, regardless of religion or world view
The last two are consciously denied, but subconsciously hoped for The last two faces require a hope of life after
death Goal: To see all the faces of death, and
ultimately to see death as a Lover Embraced, welcomed Seen as one who makes life better
Enemy
We must first see death as an enemy Death never be our friend; it can only become
our friend Death can only become our friend after we
have seen it as our enemy Death is not part of a natural cycle
It is an attack on our nature To a seven year old: “Your cousin has gone back
to the earth; part of the ‘circle of life.’” Seven year old: “I don’t want my cousin to be
fertilizer!”
Enemy
Death steals Loss of life Life is good, not evil; so a good is stolen
Death is not sleep We live through sleep Death is not relaxing; rigor mortis sets in Think: Why did
Jesus say, “She is not dead but sleeping.” Paul say, “Those who die sleep in the Lord.”
Enemy
Death appears ugly, light-less and lifeless We must dress up “Dead bodies belong in the grave”
They must be buried Death is inevitable
People say, “When it gets older, will the baby perhaps be a doctor?”
No one says, “Will the baby perhaps die? Death is irreversible
The worst enemies create a bad situation that cannot be changed
Enemy
Death creates despair, weeping, mourning It causes us
Not to laugh but to cry Not to look forward, but to regret Not to anticipate, but to fear Not to rejoice but to regret
Death leads to guilt Puzzle: Death is both natural and
unnatural Is there hope?
Stranger
Hate versus Indifference If we hate, then we have loved Indifference drives out love
Indifference is being dead Dead to others Dead to God Dead to self Dead to death
Stranger
Why do we choose to ignore death? Why do we flinch when we see death? Unknown Painful Forces us to view our own mortality
Modern indifference Seen in
Wakes Drive up funerals Cremation
Helps us ignore the life in the body
Stranger
Six reasons we turn death into a stranger Collectivism: “We are all one in death”
Why is this a lie?: Every man dies for himself alone; every death is individual
Skepticism: “No one can known the meaning of death” Why is this a lie?: Every culture has explained
the meaning of death through its rituals; even our skepticism explains the meaning of death.
Friend
Middle Step in our journey into death This face is true, real and must be confronted
whether or not holds to life after death. Death is our friend for seven reasons
It is our Being It is our Openness It is our Life’s Frame It is our Appreciation of Life It is our Food It is our Truth It is our Opportunity for Heroism
Friend: Being
What is a friend? “A friend is another self” I look at friend not as an object in the world
(stranger); rather I look at a friend through his eyes at the world and myself A friend helps us see who we really are A friend helps us see ourselves to help us
Not a sparring partner, not an enemy
To face death is to face who we are Death is at the heart of our very self, our very
being
Friend: Being
Death is our “other self,” our alter ego Death is not a generic enemy, but the enemy within It helps us see who we really are It helps us see what matters most to us
Our very being is “being-toward-death” Therefore, death is ourselves, who we are It is both our present and our future Not the last point on the line, but the movement and
direction of the whole line Latin Hymn: “In the midst of life, we are in death” It is our “black hole” sucking life out of us
Oddity: Death is nonbeing, nonliving
Friend: Openness
What is a friend? A friend is honest with us A friend helps us live in the present
Not merely in the past A friend helps open us up to new ideas, new
possibilities, new thoughts, new experiences Love and knowledge with trust are most important
among friends who open us up Death helps us love life Death helps us know and be honest with our
life Death helps us trust what is best
Friend: Frame
What is a friend? A frame which complete us A frame which helps to define us A frame which helps center the center
Death is a frame because It centers us It defines us by forcing us to ask who we truly
are, and what we truly want to be It gives us wholeness, completeness
Friend: Appreciation
What is a friend? A friend helps us appreciate what we have A friend helps us appreciate who we are A friends helps us appreciate what we can be
Death is a friend who helps us appreciate Matters of life and death Each day as if it were our last (“no regrets”) What we value about ourselves, about others
Friend: Heroism
What is a friend? Someone we look up to (role model) Someone we will rescue (die for) Someone we will live for
Mother
A mother loves her child
love begins the child love grows as the child grows
Disciplines her child Nurtures her child Lets her child go
Gives child independence to live on his own Gives her child life
Mother
Death is like a mother because death Gives new life (rebirth)
the sack giving way to light in The Death of Ivan Illych
Disciplines by giving awareness of our mortality can influence the way we live helps us see life in a new way reorganizes the priorities of our life
Nurtures us by showing us what lies ahead Gives us a way to get to new life
Mother
We are now in the womb, but we need to be born by going through the birth canal. Death is the birth canal—it is traumatic.
Death gives birth to life. Everyone goes from death to life;
everyone will rise from the dead Only question – where we go after rising
from dead Death is not a separation, but a change
in relationship
Mother
Conclusions Death isn't a curse but a blessing Death leads us from one community to
another giving us more freedom Death brings you to your final end Death brings you to a new love Death is a repeat of being born Death helps us rehearse for our new life
Lover
Sees death as an exhilarating fascinating “person” to whom one wholly yields himself knowing that, by sacrificing, he becomes more of what he is.
By embracing death as a lover, we become More aware of life More ready to embrace the fullness of life
The most mature view The view of the saints and faithful
Lover
Like love, death is individual Every person loves another by himself alone Each love (with lover and beloved) is unique
Death leads us to our greatest love Allows us to meet our True Love Our “golden chariot” which Love sends to
bring us to Himself “I’m so happy, I could die”
What does this mean? Joy exceeds death (p. 106)
Lover
Love conquers all—even death Love is strong as death, stronger than death Love bridges the gap, the curse, the absence
by Giving us hope to see others Giving us hope to live Giving us the hope of the summum bonum
Lover
Love Himself uses death Converts & transforms death
So that we might overcome the devilish lie There is no hope, no God, no heaven, no point
So that we can see death for what it truly is So that we have true freedom
To choose God without fear Of losing Him Of being lost
Essay
Explain how Ivan Ilyich confronts or faces two of the five “face of death” presented by Kreeft. Use gobs of details to support your argument. Each description should consist of one paragraph (7-10 sentences).
Using a pre-approved movie or book, explain how one of the key characters confronts or faces two of the five “face of death” presented by Kreeft. Use gobs of details to support your argument. Each description should consist of one paragraph (7-10 sentences).
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