Toxic Theology as a Contributing Factor in Complicated Mourning

As an educator and spiritual caregiver to the bereaved, I offer supportive companionship and spiritual healing tools for the grief journey. In this capacity, I have encountered certain theological mindsets that can disrupt psychological well-being, and in some cases lead to complicated mourning, depression and even illness. This paper explores these "toxic theologies" and their relationship to complicated mourning, while offering alternative perspectives and cosmologies that may be helpful in supporting grievers who face spiritual challenges.