PALS Study Topics — ‘Pastoral Care and Ethics at Life’s End'

Prof. John T. Pless

Module: Pastoral Care

In this course, Prof. John Pless addresses many of the ethical challenges pastors and laity face when making decisions about treatment and care when life appears to be ending. He examines and helps to prepare you for two aspects of pastoral work:

1. The way you prepare your members in advance so that when the time comes, they can think about these issues of life and death and make decisions that are in accordance with God’s Word and which exercise responsibility toward loved ones.

2. To equip you to work in high pressure situations, such as when a member or loved one is in hospice or ICU, when tough decisions have to be made while nerves are raw and emotions are high and susceptible. This course hopes to help you bring God’s Word of comfort and consolation so your members can make responsible decisions not simply based on pragmatic considerations but decisions that seek to honor God’s will for life and seek to care even when there can be no cure.