The thesis considers the changing nature of funerals carried in England over the last twenty years and a possible response by Church of England ministers. Those changes are outlined in terms of the changes in venue of funerals, the changes in content and the changes in officials conducting funerals.As a theological basis for a response, the thesis examines the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar, and in particular his book Mysterium Paschale. Balthasar considers each of the three days of Easter in turn, finding particular power and importance in Holy Saturday. It is this weight that he gives to the day in which Jesus is actually dead that is important in forming a liturgical response in the carrying out of funerals.One commentator describes a Christian funeral as a remembrance of an individual’s death in the context of the Easter event: key to what we do as Christian ministers is remind people of the hope that we have because of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. However, whilst the proclamation of the meaning of Easter Sunday is vital in any Christian funeral, just as important is a taking seriously of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. These days remind us of the importance of grief and mourning in funerals. The thesis examines both the formal and informal content of funerals conducted by church ministers in England today to see how they give an appropriate understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ.The appropriate liturgical response to mourning is lament and, having considered how the three days of Easter are reflected in the actual content of the funeral, the final chapter considers the biblical notion of lament and how it may provide resources for funeral ministry.
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