Pearls of Comfort

Experiencing Divine and Human Comfort at the End of Life

Martina Holder-Franz, John Swinton

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Hardback

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English

Pickwick Publications
26 August 2025

Christianity; Christian social thought & activity; Aspects of religion (non-Christian); Coping with death & bereavement

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.

By: Martina Holder-Franz
Foreword by: John Swinton
Imprint: Pickwick Publications
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 494g
ISBN: 9798385223138
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 26 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.

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

""This letter from a Christian living in a Swiss society where assisted suicide has been legal for decades comes at just the right time for English-speaking Christians wrestling today with these questions. Martina Holder Franz offers deep theological insights and profound human wisdom about how it looks to love well those who are approaching the end of life."" --Brian Brock, Professor of Moral and Practical Theology, University of Aberdeen ""'What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ!' - what a pearl that has been a source of solace for generations of Christians! But too many only see the shell. To open it, you need theological reflection combined with pastoral passion. Martina Holder embodies both, offering us a string of pearls in her book!"" --Ralph Kunz, Professor of Practical Theology, Universität Zürich