Grief and SexualityLife After Losing a Spouse by Rachel Nafziger Hartzler |
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"Rachel Nafziger Hartzler writes with the authority and insight of someone inside the experience. Her work draws on the wisdom of having suffered. She links the best writings and studies of grief with questions that are not hypothetical in an author's mind, but authentic, arising from the lives of a wide group of persons in pain. A book to read, a book to share as bibliotherapy." - David Augsburger, Fuller Theological Seminary
Half of all married people will lose a spouse in death. Although no one can fully prepare for such a loss, Grief and Sexuality provides a glimpse through the stories of widowed people, all woven into Rachel Nafziger Hartzler's own story. This significant study addresses questions of sexuality with compelling new data that will encourage open-minded widowed people as well as their friends and caregivers.
The multiple layers of loss caused by death of a spouse are addressed by a wide array of available literature. But Grief and Sexuality is deeper and bolder than most, exploring intricate connections between loss and spirituality and their links to sexuality.
Hartzler uses brand new research to look beyond superficial questions about romantic relationships following spousal death. Using biblical forms as a model, her work emphasizes the necessity of lament following such a significant loss. Hartzler offers personal experiences to describe the transformation available to those who have survived the death of a spouse and to sketch guidelines for managing sexual energy.
Here also is a book with specific suggestions for friends and caregivers who want to offer support.
"Her personal involvement with widowhood allows Rachel Nafziger Hartzler to pinpoint its issues with refreshing clarity and directness. She plunges into all the complexities of sexuality after the loss of a spouse and addresses the issues with honesty. This work emerges not only as a guidebook for the loss of a spouse, but also as a life skills manual for anyone who has suffered the loss of someone dear to them." - Wilma L. Derksen, author of Unsettled Weather
About the Author
Rachel Nafziger Hartzler, at age fifty-one, endured the intense sorrow and confusion of widowhood after her husband died suddenly of a heart attack. While studying for a master's degree in Christian formation at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, she undertook to research the experiences of other widowed people. Hartzler has taught in nursing at Goshen (Indiana) College and practiced nursing at Goshen General Hospital. She currently works as a spiritual director, speaks on issues related to grief, spirituality, and sexuality, and is pastor of Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church in Middlebury, Indiana.