Question about A Grief Observed

[foreverhis]

Let me start by saying I don't intend to insult anyone.  A little background for those who don't know.  My husband and I were raised traditional Episcopal and Methodist-Episcopal, respectively.  Our parents encouraged us to attend services with friends of other denominations and even other faiths.  As we grew on our own faith journey, we walked away from organized religions in favor of a more all-inclusive faith.  I guess you could call it universal spirituality.  We have faith that there are things we do not understand in this life, that there is something (someone) greater that binds us all together, that there are teachers and prophets who can help us along the way, that there is a mystery to what lies beyond, and that there is a life after this one.

With that in mind, here is my question.  How deeply Christian is A Grief Observed?  I have nothing against Christianity, obviously I was raised in the faith.  But I'm not sure how helpful a fully Christian-centric narrative would be for me.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

[Michelene]

I avoided a Grief Observed for this very reason for a while--but it is very raw and brutal about the pain and loss. More so than any other book I read. I felt and still feel that CS Lewis understands. It's not an advice book. 

(When people would send me "widow" books I would always google to see if the author had remarried and if they had I would throw it out.)

[KayC]

I highly recommend it.  He is different than others in the evangelical field, he is very authentic, he does not push Christianity.  His is a very raw personal glimpse into his heart...he loved and lost just as we all did.  He does not give bent to the cliches we all have come to know and hate.  His is a picture of true love...loved and taken from us all too soon.

[foreverhis]

Thank you both.  This is really helpful.  I have seen it recommended so many times and wondered about it.  The only book on grief that I've actually bought is Grief: The Inside Story.  It's got some really good affirmations of "Yep, I've experienced that."  And does include suggestions and helps for the first several years.  I am leery of many or maybe most books about spouse loss, especially those written by someone who hasn't actually experienced losing his or her soulmate.

I really like the Narnia series and read the books more than once through the years.  His moral and ethical perspective, while primarily Christian in its allegories, is also universal in regards to faith and spirituality, so I was hoping that his personal grief journey might be as well.

I think I'll hunt down a used copy and give it a try.