This will require of us both a clearer understanding of loss and a greater willingness to more fully integrate our grieving process with our discernment process. Some losses are complicated by their very nature, others are complicated due to factors surrounding the losses. If we can become more aware of potential complicating factors and their associated losses for ourselves and others, we will be better able to live out God's call and to help others in responding to God's call. She is a pastoral counselor who specializes in bereavement work and is certified as a death educator and grief therapist. She is the author of Responding to God's Call and Complicated Losses, Difficult Deaths .
Religious pluralism seems a given in American society.
For many families, multiple religious traditions are the norm. People of faith want to know how all of these traditions relate to their quest for understanding. Tomorrow's ministers must find ways to respond to these changing religious connections. These lectures examine the changing nature of American religious life. We will consider the impact of religious pluralism, changes in denominational systems, and trends for the future.