In modern society, funeral rituals have become industrialized and commercialized. Therefore, the development of Christian funerals is necessary, restoring the essential meanings lost in this process through religion. In modern society, death has been ...
In modern society, funeral rituals have become industrialized and commercialized. Therefore, the development of Christian funerals is necessary, restoring the essential meanings lost in this process through religion. In modern society, death has been managed by specialized institutions such as hospitals and funeral homes, increasingly separating it from everyday life. This invisibility of death has deprived humans of the opportunity to reflect on their own finitude and the meaning of existence, and as a result, their inherent religious identity has been weakened.
This paper seeks to define funeral rituals not as mere social customs or procedures of consolation, but as a core event that restores religiousness within human limitations. Specifically, it divides the spatial structure of funeral homes into the pre-wedding space, entrance, a memorial altar, and reception area. It analyzes the traditional meanings and contemporary changes in each space and reinterprets them from a Christian theological perspective. It examines the symbolism and functions of funeral elements such as wreaths, condolence books, donations, floral offerings, and meals, suggesting the potential for a shift toward participatory mourning and communal consolation. Furthermore, by suggesting that the material elements of funerals, such as flower arrangements, water, and food, can be connected to theology, this paper argues that funeral rituals can transcend mere cultural practices and embody theological messages. Through this, it argues that funerals should not be places that conceal death, but rather events where the gospel of life and resurrection can be most clearly proclaimed.
In conclusion, this paper argues that funeral rituals should restore fading religiosity and that the church must reclaim death from society and bear witness to the faith of resurrection as a practical gospel. Christian funerals are not simply procedures for managing death, but rather religious events that place humanity before God in the face of death. It proposes that they represent the most powerful evangelical challenge the church can offer the world.
Keywords: Funeral Rituals, Restoration of Religiosity, Christian Funerals, Faith in Resurrection, Visualization of Death, Recapture of Death