by Edward C. Sellner (Author)
Everyone who has lost a beloved pet knows the deep grief and heartbreak a death can cause, often raising questions about the meaning of such a loss, whether there is an afterlife for pets, and sometimes why God would take such a dear member of the family so soon. This book is the story of a father and son, Ed and Daniel, whose pet, Red, died on Good Friday in the week Christians call "Holy." It shows how Red's death drew them even closer while also leading each of them into new awarenesses. The timing of that death also raised serious questions for Ed, a pastoral theologian, which he had not faced before: do animals have souls? What sort of God is it that we Christians believe in? What was one to learn from the synchronicity of Red dying on Good Friday? As a result of his grief and the questions it raised, Ed found himself being led to teaching new courses in ethics, art, and spirituality concerned with animals, and a new field specifically called "animal theology." This memoir is written for those concerned with the death of their beloved pets. It discusses practices and rituals helpful in dealing with grief which can contribute to healing.
Author Biography
Edward C. Sellner is professor emeritus of theology and spirituality at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses for thirty-five years. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he is the author of numerous articles and books, most recently in the area of animal theology. Ed is a fellow of the Oxford Centre of Animal Ethics, Oxford, England. He is also a spiritual director, trained at the Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland.