New American Funerals: Creating and Delivering Nonreligious End-of-Life Ceremonies

by Elizabeth Nordberg Stokes

Overview

New American Funerals is the first book in more than 30 years to focus solely on nonreligious American end-of-life ceremonies and how the professional celebrant can create them. Many changes have since impacted American death practices, from technology, demographics, and climate change to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Amid these changes, more Americans are finding that religious ceremonies are no longer meaningful, yet they still want to honor their loved ones with authenticity and meaning. The humanist worldview stands as a refreshing contrast to traditional burial rites. 

Inside this comprehensive guide the professional celebrant will find strategies for

• identifying the appropriate tone for various end-of-life ceremonies,
• hitting the main "beats" of end-of-life ceremonies,
• writing refreshing eulogies,
• conceiving custom rituals,
• building a collection of nonreligious readings and music suggestions, and
• designing mourning events of all kinds.

The book also covers pragmatic aspects of contemporary funeral celebrancy such as

• inquiry and interview practices,
• interacting with families and clients in a variety of emotional states,
• sensitive language for difficult deaths and ceremonies,
• fee models,
• racial and gender imbalances in the profession, and
• the wider economic context in which American celebrants work.

New American Funerals also encourages celebrants to be receptive to the myriad vibrant, contemporary end-of-life customs found throughout communities in the United States.

In highlighting concepts and materials from the natural world, the arts, science, and culture, humanist end-of-life ceremonies rise to the occasion and meet the need that today's growing secular society has for connection, beauty, and transcendence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798986696119
Publisher:	Elizabeth Stokes
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	236
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Elizabeth Nordberg Stokes is a professional humanist celebrant who has been designing and delivering end-of-life ceremonies in New England for more than five years. She also teaches end-of-life ceremonies at Celebrant Academy, one of the few U.S. organizations supporting the education of professional celebrants. Prior to becoming a celebrant, she was in a leadership position in a Quaker organization and was a freelance editor focused on memoir and fiction. She holds a B.S. in Communication Theory and Practice from Boston University with a focus in Creative Writing, and continues to write fiction in her free time. She is the lucky parent of two amazing teens, and together they live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Part 1.  American Death Dying, and End-of-Life Customs

Introduction

The Purpose of Funerals

What is an American Funeral?

Disposition

Who's Who in End-of-Life Services

Roles and Responsibilities of the Funeral Celebrant

Types of End-of-Life Ceremonies

Part 2. Funeral Design

Funeral Design

Typical Funeral Ceremony Elements

Main Written Parts of the Ceremony

Writing and Delivering Eulogies

Committal Services

Part 3. Personalizing End-of-Life Ceremonies

Settings

Readings

Music

Rituals

Difficult Ceremonies

Part 4. Doing the Work

Funeral Celebrant's Workflow

Handling Inquiries

Handling Family Interviews

Conducting the Funeral

Part 5. The Business of End-Of-Life Celebrancy

Business Models

Connecting with Community

The Future of Funerals

Part 6. Appendix

Sample Inquiry/Intake Form

Sample Service Agreement 

Sample Interview Form

Sample Ceremony Outline

Sample Committal Outline

End-of-Life Services via Internet

Sample Funeral for a Public Figure

Public Speaking Practice

Glossary of Terms

Notes and Bibliography