Contemporary Reflections on Death Have Been Cremated

The New York Times’ Gabrielle Glasser wrote an article last month entitled, “The Funeral: Your Last Chance to Be a Big Spender.” In this article, Glasser noted various ways that the funeral business has adapted to the changing desires of society, in particular the desire for people “to have what they want.” Thus, the industry has made special caskets for “bikers” so that they can be pulled by a Harley rather than a traditional hearse; or gardeners can select a variety of wildflowers to be included in their funeral plans.

Glasser also noted the number of changes that are resulting from the rising costs of funerals. She writes:

The death industry is facing something of an existential crisis. Cremation, which can reduce costs by half or more, is a strong trend. (The average cost of a funeral and traditional burial is about $8,000.) Families are increasingly abandoning traditional religious funerals, which are typically organized by funeral directors, in favor of secular ceremonies they may arrange themselves. Natural burials, which avoid embalming and concrete burial vaults, are more commonly considered than they once were, while a minority of families are bypassing funeral homes altogether to take care of their dead themselves.

The rise of cremation in the past forty years has been astounding, with cremation now accounting for more than 38 percent of all burials, in comparison to just 26 percent in 2000. Jerry Sullivan, a second generation funeral director remarks, “And if you care a little bit less about ceremony, and are ready to allow your body to go up in smoke, then all of the trappings of traditional funerals matter less as well — like fancy caskets.”

As a Christian, I believe that the church must give greater reflection to the moral issues surrounding death and how we handle our dead. Is burial nothing more than the disposal of a person’s housing—with the real person (i.e., soul) having already “departed to be with the Lord?” If it is, then certainly better reasons must be given for cremation than “it cuts funeral costs in half” or one is prepared to “go up in smoke.”

To be sure, the Vatican’s decision in 1963 to lift its ban on cremation has led to more individuals choosing this route. But is there something more that has sparked an even greater surge in the choice of cremation. In his article “Grave Signs,” Russell Moore draws attention to how Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave at Mamre and how those closest to Jesus sought to prepare his body for burial after the crucifixion. The point he so powerfully makes is that the people of God deal with their dead in a way that not only honors them, but also in a way that historically has been drastically different than the pagan world. Indeed, Stephen Prothero’s Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America emphatically demonstrates how the practice of cremation practically disappeared in areas where the church spread, finding continued practice only among those who rejected a future resurrection of the body.

Consequently, questions remain: Can Christians morally choose cremation? Or an even greater question, will Christians even ask the question?