웰다잉과 생명의료윤리를 반영한 임종, 장례 절차 및 예식 연구

Abstract

Nowadays, the term well-dying, which means a good death, is being used in everyday life and is used implicitly in a broader sense than in a literal sense. This study delves into the patient's preparation for death and the ceremony for discontinuing life-sustaining treatment related to biomedical ethics and well-dying within the context of death. The well-dying ritual, previously overlooked in traditional society, is gaining traction in the contemporary era. Especially, particular interest is the incorporation of the legislated discontinuation of life-sustaining treatment into funeral ceremonies. Based on this connotation, this research has its significance as follows. First, this paper provides practical guidelines on practicing and sharing piety from a Christian perspective, from just before death to funerals. In the current landscape of Korean churches, funeral culture is diverse and lacks a unified form for funeral rites. This paper offers practical solutions to these complex issues, serving as a valuable resource for Christian funeral practitioners. Furthermore, this study holds the potential to reinvigorate Christian identity and faith by revisiting the early and recent Korean Christian rites and reevaluating the overly modernized and high-tech funeral rites of today. The current funerals prioritize simplicity and speed, often at the expense of traditional Christian rites. This study plays a significant role in reviving these past liturgical elements, strengthening Christian identity and faith. Third, in a rapidly changing social environment, this study promotes more detailed ethical discourse related to practical ethics, such as ceremonies for discontinuing life-sustaining treatment and memorial ceremonies in the face of social disasters. Thus, this research suggests follow-up research topics such as ‘practicing virtues such as mourning, solemnity, consideration, and mutual aid’ and ‘simplification of funeral ceremonies considering the culture of cremation and burial.’ Lastly, this study proposes the follow-up research themes based on the criticism of the complexity and multiplicity of funeral procedures in Korean Christianity, the remnants and evils of traditional Confucian rituals, the commercial prosperity of the funeral industry, and its negative impact on society. The Korean church has a big task to discuss in relation to death by deeply reflecting biblical and theological principles. In this study, we closely analyzed it from a Christian perspective, keeping in mind the limitations and various difficulties revealed in previous studies under the theme of “Thoughts on death and seeking funeral rites that reflect well dying and bioethics.”