Dementia: The 2016 Michael Ramsey Prize Shortlist 5
Review of John Swinton, Dementia: Living in the Memories of God (SCM, 2012). I confess that I approached this book with trepidation. What I feared was a well-meaning but dull account of the symptoms and basic pastoral needs of those with dementia – worthy, but not very interesting. What I found was quite different. This book is a mixture of deep theological accounts of what it means to be human, and important reflections on love and living. All of this is explored and brought to the surface in Swinton’s reflections on dementia. All has repercussions far beyond caring for those with that illness. This is another truly excellent book on the Michael Ramsey Prize shortlist. Swinton starts with a question of identity. He wants to be loved and cared for, just for who he is. So the question becomes who is he? This is, of course, compounded by issues around dementia, where people lose memories, a...