Toxic Theology, Deconstruction & Coping with Complicated Grief – Dr. Terri Daniel

We’re honored to learn from Dr. Terri Daniel about her academic work on toxic theology as a contributing factor in complicated mourning and work as an interfaith chaplain.

Topics covered:
01:17 The Conference on Death, Grief & Belief
03:17 Toxic Theology as a Contributing Factor in Complicated Grief (Or Mourning)
05:22 The Atheist Purity Test
08:24 Complicated Grief in Relation to Toxic Theology
09:18 Dark Night of the Soul & Questioning God
12:00 Dealing with trauma (and feeling like God is not pleased with us)
12:30 Example of toxic theology in Christian movies
13:29 Interfaith chaplaincy and supporting hospice clients
17:45 Fowler’s Stages of Faith Development
20:05 Religious Critique of Fowler’s Stages of Faith Development
21:00 Evelyn Underhill’s 5 Stages of Mysticism & The Exodus Story
22:12 The Exodus Myth: Enslaved to Ego & Mystical Union
23:19 Fowler’s Stages, Managing Grief, and Religious Coping Scales
25:32 Making Meaning of Loss
27:54 When trauma leads to a faith deconstruction
31:13 Counseling those who are deconstructing (and need help processing trauma)
41:37 Why would a loving God ordain or allow traumatic events
46:49 How to become an interfaith chaplain & clinical pastoral education programs

You can watch the full episode on YouTube here.

Dr. Terri Daniel is an inter-spiritual hospice chaplain, end-of-life educator, and grief counselor certified in death, dying and bereavement by the Association of Death Education and Counseling and in trauma support by the International Association of Trauma Professionals.

She conducts workshops throughout the U.S. and is an adjunct instructor in thanatology and chaplaincy at Marian University, the University of Maryland and the Graduate Theological Union. She is also the founder of The Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, and the Ask Doctor Death podcast.

Over the years Terri has helped hundreds of people learn to live, die and grieve more consciously. Her work is acclaimed by hospice professionals, spiritual seekers, counselors, theologians, and academics worldwide.

Learn more by checking Dr. Terri Daniel’s books, resources and conferences.

You can read a summary of this blog and get links to video clips here:
https://www.mikedelgado.org/podcast/toxic-theology/