The search for meaning in later life

The search for meaning in later life: An empirical exploration of religion and death draws on thorough qualitative and quantitative research among older Dutch adults. The scarcity of vital narratives of ageing and the fragmentation of religious `grand narratives' appear to complicate their search for meaning. Moreover, increased longevity and the medicalisation of death challenge many older adults to decide about the right timing of death. This study qualitatively and quantitatively explores narratives of ageing and of religion expressed by older Dutch adults and their attitudes toward death, euthanasia and life prolongation.

Nienke P. M. Fortuin is a researcher at the chair of Empirical and Practical Religious Studies of the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.