Gardens of Stone: Searching for Evidence of Secularization and Acceptance of Death in Grave Inscriptions from 1900–2009

Abstract

From the magnificent to the mundane to the sublime, grave inscriptions serve as remembrances of the dead and provide concrete evidence of the thoughts and values of the day. In this study, 1,214 grave inscriptions ( N = 1,214) dated 1900 to 2009 were examined for evidence of secularization and changes in attitude toward death. Using set criteria, the researchers categorized grave inscriptions in terms of language used (sacred/secular) and acceptance of death (acceptance/other). Binary logistic regression models revealed significantly more use of sacred language and significantly less acceptance of death over the past 110 years. Findings from these analyses suggest that: (a) secularization may not be as pervasive as thought, particularly with respect to death; and (b) as death has become increasingly medicalized and marginalized, society has grown less accepting of the finitude of life. These findings are further discussed in light of the continued evolution of death memorials.