Table Of ContentRELIGION AND SELF-COPING WITH AGING BY
ADULTS OVER SIXTY-FIVE
A Dissertation
Presented to
the Faculty of the
School of Theology at Claremont
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Vivian J. Thomas
May 1996
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This dissertation, written by
Vivian J. Thomas______________
under the direction of-------Faculty Committee,
and approved by its members, has been presented
to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of
Theology at Claremont in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Faculty Committee
Chairman
Date.
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©
Vivian J. Thomas
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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ABSTRACT
Religion and Self-Coping With Aging
By Adults Over Sixty-Five
by
Vivian J. Thomas
The primary purpose of this dissertation is to explore
the impact of religious attitudes and behaviors on effective
coping of adults over sixty-five with increasing physical
disabilities and decreasing social capabilities.
This study centers around pastoral counseling
interviews with older people, in various community settings,
as they reflect on the quality of their lives and their
current religious beliefs. The focus of the interviews was
to secure the opinions of older people about the possibility
of having coped with their aging with the support of their
Judeo-Christian religious beliefs and practices.
Pastoral counseling interviews were held with older
adults in a variety of settings and samples were drawn from
different groups of these populations. A random sample is
drawn from a medical setting. Non-random samples are drawn
from senior communities of residents in retirement
facilities, a retirement housing complex, senior groups, and
senior volunteers.
This study encourages the development of closer
relationships between pastoral counselors and other
professional disciplines which service the elderly. Medical
staff, social service staff, health care personnel, and
pastoral counselors, together, may have an understanding of
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the physical, psychological and spiritual issues that
frequently effect the older person in crisis.
This study highlights the increasing numbers of older
people and the need for creative ministries with them.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work would not have been completed without the
interest and cooperation of many people. In the process of
writing this dissertation I came to meet and know wonderful
people who in their own unique ways are a part of this
effort and have contributed so much to my own personal
growth.
Many blessings have been a part of this experience. An
initial blessing was the acceptance by Professor William M.
Clements to serve as chairperson of the dissertation
committee. He brought to the experience his interest in
aging as an authority on spiritual development in the second
half of life.
Dean Allen Moore was a second blessing. Prior to his
retirement he was able to give out of his wisdom some astute
suggestions which helped in the writing of this study.
Professor Stephen Kim was most gracious and supportive.
He helped me to reflect on the multicultural aspects of
aging in the Judeo-Christian communities and the need for
further research.
Professor Karen Baker-Fletcher brought a new
perspective to the committee team with her consciousness of
women and social issues.
Ms. Elaine Walker and Mrs. Philla Reiley gave valuable
assistance in organization guidance. Miss Kathy Deskin
graciously typed this manuscript and helped with the
editing.
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Professors Howard Clinebell and Paul Schurman were of
great assistance to me in 1117 journey through the pastoral
counseling program as intern, supervisor and consultant at
the Pomona Valley Counseling and Growth Center affiliated
with the School of Theology at Claremont. Much of this
experience contributed to my professional growth and
preparation for this study.
I was honored to receive a grant from the Fund for
Theological Education, Incorporated. This grant and the
encouragement given by that Institution was a source of
inspiration which enabled me to complete this dissertation.
This financial assistance enabled me to complete this
study.
A unique blessing was the opportunity to have had
contact with Dr. Harold G. Koenig, of the Duke University
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. This
work developed as a result of his suggestions regarding the
need for further research in the field of aging. His letter
of support and information regarding the questionnaires was
helpful and a source of encouragement.
Another of the blessings I am grateful for was the
trust shown by the Department of Veterans Affairs Special
Committees, specifically the Research and Development
Committee and the Human Studies Committee of the Jerry L.
Pettis Memorial Veterans' Hospital at Loma Linda,
California. The approval of the study by these committees
permitted access to the programs, the staff and the
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patients. I am particularly grateful to the staff of the
Special Physician Directed Rehabilitative Medicine Program
for the Hospital Based Care Management Program.
Mrs. Marty McGaughy, the Director of Claremont Manor of
Claremont, California, a large senior residential facility,
was very accepting of the study. She supported the process,
and graciously permitted access to the residents.
Emerson Village, a senior housing complex in the city
of Pomona, California, permitted access to their residents.
Mrs. Marion Fiasca was indeed a blessing, graciously
coordinating this effort. She set up interviews and
arranged publicity.
I wish to acknowledge the many persons I have had the
privilege of meeting during the course of this study,
particularly those who came forward to be interviewed.
I am also appreciative of the trust shown me by the
churches, in particular St. Norbert Parish in Orange,
California, which permitted access and opportunity to work
with Mrs. Marge Richter, Director of Christian Service for
the parish. Mrs. Richter headed a group of seniors known as
the Young At Hearts. Mrs. Richter coordinated the event
which invited the seniors to participate, and set up
interview times and place.
I appreciate the support of interested volunteers from
Pilgrim Place of Claremont, California. Their journeys as
pilgrims serving others and continuing to serve those around
them was supportive for this study of older people.
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My former pastor/ Right Reverend Monsignor William J.
Barry, parishioners and friends of Our Lady of the
Assumption Church, Claremont, California, have given gifts
of prayer which were a source of blessings for this work.
My pastor, the Reverend Thomas Welbers, has been
supportive and encouraging. Be is most interested in the
development and creation of parish ministries to the sick,
dying and grieving.
My family, especially my late husband, Eugene, was
consistent in their gifts of love and support. My sons,
David, Valentine, and Eugene, and my daughter Mary, were
consistent in their attitudes and expressions of love for
their grandmother as she coped with the advanced age of 102
years with spirit, dignity and her faith in the Lord. This
personal example of relatives within my family system led to
inquiry regarding the experiences of other families relative
to the ability to cope with the aging process, given the
support that religious faith, beliefs and behaviors bring to
the aging American of Judeo-Christian heritage.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Chapter
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I
Statement of the Problem............ 2
Changes in Life Expectancy .............. 8
The Impact of Increased Life Expectancy . . 9
The American Culture ................... 10
Religion........................... 11
Purpose of the Dissertation.......... 13
Limitations.......................... 13
Biblical References ..................... 14
Definitions of Terms ................... 16
Research Objectives ..................... 25
Research Questions ..................... 26
Subsidiary Question ..................... 26
Organization of the Dissertation ........ 26
2. Theology of the Study.................. 28
Theological Problems ................... 28
Theology and Pastoral Counseling ........ 33
The Influence of Other Theologians . . . . 42
3. Review of Relevant Research on Aging . . . . 53
Religion in Holistic Care............ 53
Gerontology and Religion ................ 53
Psychological and Developmental
Theories......................... 55
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