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We have with us today Dr. Tim Perry, the dean of Providence Theological Seminary in Otterburn, Manitoba.

His previous books are Benedict XVI, a Protestant appreciation, and Mary for Evangelicals, toward an understanding

of the mother of our Lord. His new book is Funerals for the Care of Souls. Welcome, Dr. Perry.

Hi, Mark. Good to be with you. Okay. Now, is there something in particular that has brought you to the topic of funerals after your previous books?

It was kind of accidental, actually. In 2016, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, and the diagnosis happened at a really

auspicious moment in my professional life. My contract was up at the parish where I'd served as

rector for five years.

And while the parish and my bishop wanted me to stay,

I was an Anglican Church of Canada parish,

my wife and I both independently of each other came to the conclusion that it was time to move on.

And we hadn't had much success in finding what the next place would be.

And so when we got the bombshell from my mom and dad, we kind of took it as a sign that that's where we should be. So I spent the last five years in the Ottawa area largely helping my dad die and helping my mom care for him and care for her after he died.

So that's the immediate cause.

While I was in my hometown helping my dad, I was getting some part-time work at a local funeral home.

And so when Todd Haynes at Lexham Press asked me if I wanted to write a pastoral guide for funeral care,

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