Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The paper presents my very recently published research on late medieval-early modern ars moriendi as one of the earliest attempts at training caregivers for the dying, by providing them with some basic practical and spiritual guidelines or protocol. Some of these texts offer a compassionate, caring and practical approach to death and dying, while seeking to confer to these experiences positive attributes of peace and affection through the loving support of a true friend (amicus), who does not leave the dying alone in the final isolation of death. These texts contrast the common perception of medieval death a lonely experience, emphasizing the communal nature of the passing-over.