Our Dog Red

Everyone who has lost a beloved pet knows the deep grief and heartbreak a death can cause, often raising questions about the meaning of such a loss, whether there is an afterlife for pets, and sometimes why God would take such a dear member of the family so soon. This book is the story of a father and son, Ed and Daniel, whose pet, Red, died on Good Friday in the week Christians call &quote;Holy.&quote; It shows how Red's death drew them even closer while also leading each of them into new awarenesses. The timing of that death also raised serious questions for Ed, a pastoral theologian, which he had not faced before: do animals have souls? What sort of God is it that we Christians believe in? What was one to learn from the synchronicity of Red dying on Good Friday? As a result of his grief and the questions it raised, Ed found himself being led to teaching new courses in ethics, art, and spirituality concerned with animals, and a new field specifically called &quote;animal theology.&quote; This memoir is written for those concerned with the death of their beloved pets. It discusses practices and rituals helpful in dealing with grief which can contribute to healing.