Do Funerals Matter?

William G. Hoy, DMin, FT, has studied funeral rites for more than four decades, examining how they are used around the world to help mourners make sense of death and to negotiate the radical changes that come about in the aftermath of a loved person’s death. Dr. Hoy holds the Fellow in Thanatology (FT) advanced practice credential from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Following more than 17 years leading a hospice bereavement program, since 2012 he has been clinical professor of medical humanities at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

1. Funerals—Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going 2. More Treasured Than Words: The Anchor of Significant Symbols 3. Getting Everybody Together: The Anchor of Gathered Community 4. Walk Out What You Can’t Talk Out: The Anchor of Ritual Action 5. Looking Back to Look Forward: The Anchor of Cultural Heritage 6. Taking the Dead to the Party: The Anchor of the Body’s Presence 7. North American Quests to Personalize Funeral Rituals 8. The Business of Funerals 9. Clinical Perspectives on the Value of Funerals 10. Farther Down the Road: Using Ritual in Grief Counseling