Sing Me to Heaven: The Story of a Marriage

February  29, 2008

Margaret Kim Peterson, associate professor of theology at Eastern University and Theologian-in-Residence at First Presbyterian Church in Norristown, Pa., will speak at a brown bag lunch March 6 at Duke Divinity School.

Peterson is the author of “Sing Me to Heaven: The Story of a Marriage.” Her husband, Hyung Goo Kim, died of AIDS four years after their wedding. Throughout his illness while she pursued a doctoral degree, they were cared for by their church, and since then Peterson has reflected on the characteristics of that care and of that congregation.

Peterson, who completed her Ph.D. at the Duke Divinity School in systematic and historical theology in 1998, will speak on “End of Life Care in Our Congregations: Where Theology Touches the Ground.” The event will be from 12:20 - 1:30 p.m. in 0015 Westbrook.

Her experience with her husband's illness combined with her academic experience in theology gives her a rich and unique viewpoint from which to examine end-of-life care, the care congregations provide (or fail to provide) and the impact that medical team members can have on those who are dying and their families.

The student group Helping Others-and Ourselves-in Life and Death and the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life (ICEOL) are sponsoring the lunch. Copies of her book will be available for loan from the ICEOL library.

Peterson also will speak March 6 at the Palliative Care Conference at Duke University Medical Center from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. A group will meet outside of the ICEOL offices to walk over at 4:15 p.m.

For more information, contact Holly Gaudette at 919-471-4932.