Abstract

A diagnosis of cancer is likely to precipitate spiritual reflection, if not spiritual crisis. It may even precipitate theological questions, challenging the understanding of God or one's relationship with ultimate considerations, certainly existential issues when confronted with the possibility of nonexistence. We know that death is inevitable, but for much of our lives, it remains a remote possibility. Cancer changes that. It forces us to contemplate our own mortality. When confronted with a diagnosis such as cancer, everything that was once familiar becomes unfamiliar and unbalanced; however, religious traditions offer us metaphors and rituals for understanding and coping with the possibility of death. As one seeks to regain balance, such metaphors offer the familiar while searching for equilibrium.