not actually be at the point of death. Yet this may well be the point where faith becomes most uncertain and fearful. It may be true for us, as Pascal once said, ‛Death when one does not think about it is more bearable than the thought of death when one is not in danger.’27 We are more aware of death today than we have ever been. But we are less familiar with the process of dying. ‛Death has been a very badly kept secret,’ says Michael Simpson.28 There is denial of death, repression of death, and