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Growing Old in Christ. Edited by Stanley Hauerwas, Carol Bailey Stoneking, Keith G. Meador, David Cloutier. (Eerdmans, 2003, 310 pp.) (Review by Charles Longenecker)
In noting the preponderance of books already written about aging, one may rightly ask if more is necessary. This collection of essays is "weighty enough to instruct theologians, ethicists, and professional caregivers, yet accessible enough for pastors and general readers (to) benefit anyone seeking faith-based insight into growing old." Its scholarship moves beyond secular thinking on growing old, which narrowly views human aging as "an upward and then downward curve centered on work and economic productivity, characterized by a 'mid-life crisis' ... and finding its final denouement in retirement."
The writers face the realities of growing old with realism, recognizing that the most profound fears of death involve a sense of dependence, abandonment, and neglect — more than death itself. "Dying, and preparing for one's own death, is arduous work." Participation in that work is the privilege and solemn responsibility of the gathered body of
Christian believers."
Whether the reader is caregiver, professional, fellow traveler, or the one caught up in his/her own end-of-life struggles, pondering the realities of growing old through the faith-lenses offered by these writers gives light to the path and hope for the journey.
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