Pearls of Comfort: Experiencing Divine and Human Comfort at the End of Life

Pearls are formed through time and under pressure. Likewise, the comfort described here arises over time and under the inevitable pressure of recognising and coping with our mortality. Drawing on her deep roots in practical theology, Martina Holder-Franz invites us into a space where the ordinary becomes extraordinary—where prayer, scripture, relationships, and even simple artefacts serve as vessels of divine comfort. Her ability to weave together biblical exegesis, theological reflection, and phenomenological research is a testament to her skill as a scholar and her compassion as a minister. The insights she offers are as thought-provoking as they are deeply moving, shedding new light on the theology of comfort. This book is more than an academic achievement; it is a labour of love, born out of decades of pastoral care and personal reflection.

Martina Holder-Franz is an ordained pastor in the Swiss Reformed Church in Basel. She is also a lecturer in palliative care and has translated various books by Cicely Saunders into German.

John Swinton is professor in practical theology and pastoral care and chair in divinity and religious studies at the University of Aberdeen. He has published within the areas of theodicy, mental health, dementia, disability theology, spirituality and healthcare, qualitative research, and pastoral care.