The Green Funeral: Honoring the Environment While Beautifying Funeral Practices

The care of creation is the responsibility of all Christians. Join Sequola Dawson in her insightful exploration of death rituals as she examines funerals, memorials, and burial practices, urging us to take ownership and recognize the vital interdependence between humanity, the earth, and all living organisms, advocating for a more ecologically responsible approach to caring for creation. The Green Funeral introduces readers to evolving attitudes toward death, the death care industry, and our faith. Dawson not only delves into burial traditions within the African American community but outlines innovative practices suited for a new generation of multicultural churchgoers and those who do not identify with any religious tradition. Dawson sheds light on the often-ignored economics behind the funeral industry, challenging us to consider the implications of "putting money in the ground." Many of us are unprepared for the death of a loved one, leaving us to ponder who bears the burden of caring for the deceased. With thousands of dollars spent on burials, Dawson argues for a more responsible approach--one that acknowledges the environmental impact of traditional practices and seeks to honor our loved ones without compromising the land they leave behind. Dawson's unique perspective on death stems from her experiences in academia, the military, family life, and engineering, as well as her journey as a cancer survivor. She artfully weaves together the languages of all these worlds collectively raising a voice for better creation care--even in death.

About the Author :
Rev. Dr. Sequola Dawson is the senior pastor of St. Mary African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is a multi-published author of several works that include Grandpa Already Told Me: The Green Funeral for Children, Grandma Already Told Me: Creating Life for Children Even in Death, and The Glad Funeral. A former member of the board of directors of the Green Burial Council, Rev. Dawson earned doctor of ministry degrees from Duke Divinity School and Payne Theological Seminary, and a doctor of philosophy in Industrial and Systems Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Jonathan C. Augustine is a nationally acclaimed social justice advocate. He serves as senior pastor of St. Joseph African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Durham, North Carolina, law professor at North Carolina Central University, and strategist with the Duke University Center for Reconciliation. A former civil rights litigator who later earned MDiv and DMin degrees, he is the author of Called to Reconciliation: How the Church Can Model Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion (Baker Academic, 2022).

Review :
"When it comes to funerals in the Black community, the common questions are "who has the body?" and "what cemetery is your loved one's final resting place?" but the question we are not asking is: how can we honor God, our loved one and the land with an ethical, toxin-free, green funeral and natural burial? In The Green Funeral, Sequola Dawson writes with pastoral care, a detailed eye to Black traditions, and a theological framework that invites the Black Church, the funeral industry and the community into the conversation of "going green." We don't talk enough about deathcare, and how traditional "preparing the body" practices can be toxic, causing us and the land to be exposed to harmful chemicals...but now we can with this well-researched book that offers the Black community a new aesthetic for discussing death, funerals and burials through an ecological lens that promotes care for all of God's creation." --Rev. Yvette R. Blair-Lavallais, Ecowomanist and Adjunct Professor of Theologies of Land and Food, Memphis Theological Seminary "Sequola Dawson provides a compelling theological account for thinking about faithful discipleship that encompasses an important, but too-often overlooked, aspect of Christian worship--our funeral practices. While rooted in the African American tradition, this is a must read for all Christians who seek to honor God's covenant with integrity through our living and our dying." ----Sarah Musser, Consulting Faculty at Duke Divinity School "In The Green Funeral: Honoring the Environment While Beautifying Funeral Practices, Rev. Sequola Dawson speaks to the black church, but invites us all to contemplate our last impact on God's good earth. Let us all prayerfully consider returning to the dust from which we came as nourishment to the sacred land." --Rev. Carol L Devine, Director of Blessed Tomorrow