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We Love You Matty: Meeting Death with Faith
Tad Dunne
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Death, Value and Meaning Series, John D. Morgan Series Editor
IN PRAISE OF
"This book will shake your hope (and, hopefully, will shake up the
religious establishment) with encouragement, a move to repentance or a
turning around, and hope."
—Rev. Dr. Richard B. Gilbert, BCC, Resources
Hotline, Volume 3, Number 29
"Tad Dunne has written a
remarkable book. It takes the form of an extended reflection on the death of a
ten-year-old adopted boy, but in effect it is an essay in fundamental theology.
Inevitably it touches the difficult matters of euthanasia and living wills, but
the book's significance lies in the centrality of death in all religions, not
least Christianity. This is a carefully written and mature book that deals with
many vital issues with great insight."
—Myles Rearden, C.M. Maynooth, Irish
Theological Quarterly
"The book is comprehensive and
offers insights on death from many religious traditions, as well as from a
psychological, sociological and historical perspective. Dunne believes that it
is possible to discover a faith that meets death well, and he encourages the
reader to enter into the process of discovery that leads from confusion into
faith. Death is the teacher who raises the question, "What will I be?"
Without death the very meaning of life would never be explored.
As a pastoral educator, I would
encourage my students to engage in the struggle that this book offers, seeing it
as a required text to stimulate theological discussion. This book needs to be
read and re-read, to be pondered and scrutinized. Each page offers a wealth of
research and personal insight. It is an ambitious book that is far-reaching in
its scope."
—Kathleen
O'Neill, Director of Pastoral Education at St. Joseph's Healthcare, Ontario,
Toronto Journal of Theology, Volume 18:2
ABOUT THE BOOK
We Love You Matty is disturbing, enlightening, and challenging.
It is disturbing because is begins with the true story of Matty Ventresca.
He was born with a severely damaged heart and given up for adoption because
he was not expected to live much longer than his teens. It is enlightening
because it challenges the reader's spontaneous assumptions about death
and an afterlife by looking at death from the points of view of wise men
and women of diverse religious traditions. It is challenging to anyone
who takes seriously the findings of psychology, social studies, and history. These disciplines force us
to find evidence in our everyday lives for our profoundest convictions
about the spirit. In particular, Dunne proposes a "Law of Care,"
which integrates our ordinary experience of mortality with both findings
of contemporary disciplines and spiritual faith.
Also, the book is quite timely. Many radio and TV programs today feature
pieces on death and dying. Religious leaders are expressing concern about
a "culture of death." And the medical community is taking a hard look at
what end-of-life care should be like.
Readers of any religious beliefs will find that the many short,
spiritual reflections here will profoundly affect the faith with which
they meet death. This work is a theological reflection about death. It
incorporates the major religious traditions in their understandings of
death and offers help to the dying and bereaved in light of these traditions.
It is most readable and would be useful to a general audience as well as
professionals. It contains a series of essays on the mysterious character
of death and the kind of faith needed to live in death's shadow. The
author relies on the methods of empirical science as well as on an
ecumenical theology that touches on a wide range of scientific and philosophical
traditions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tad Dunne, Ph.D., is a former Jesuit priest and has dealt with
death and dying for many years. After receiving a doctorate, he taught
theology at Regis College of the Toronto School of Theology for eight years.
He was assigned as Director of Novices for the Jesuits of the Detroit and
Chicago Provinces. Dr. Dunne has given spiritual direction to hundreds
of people in addition to conducting many retreats.
Dr. Dunne is a staff artist for America magazine, a weekly magazine
of critique and opinion published by the Society of Jesus. In addition,
he chairs an ethics committee for the Henry Ford Health System's Center
for Senior Independence.
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