The experience of feeling grace in voluntary service to the terminally ill
pp. 373-386
in: Ronald Valle (ed), Phenomenological inquiry in psychology, Berlin, Springer, 1998Abstract
There exist in many cultures some powerful and distinct human experiences we have little scientific understanding of. One such experience is the experience of feeling grace. In this chapter, the nature of the experience of feeling grace in voluntary service to the dying is explored from a phenomenological perspective. Twelve individuals who described themselves as having experienced grace while working with the dying were interviewed, their descriptions were analyzed, and seven constituent themes were identified. The relationship of these themes to previous writings on the nature of grace is then explored.