Jean Donovan--professor, lay minister and crisis worker--offers a Christian understanding of one of life"s greatest mysteries--death. In material divided into several cogent and succinct chapters, she discourses on the subject and its concomitant issues-evil, pain, suffering, acceptance, and happiness. The result is The Mystery of Death, a probing, theological account of questions that deeply perplex humankind: "Where is God in the face of evil?" And "why does God permit human beings to suffer and die?" Complete with references from the Bible, Dante, and C.S. Lewis, among others, this is a compassionate and scholarly contribution to thanatology. Written in precise and careful language, this book is recommended for: · Individual readers searching for the meaning of death. · Theological seminaries, medical and nursing schools. · Social workers who work with the sick and the bereaved. · Clergy of all faiths. · Students of psychology.