Presence in What Remains: Memory Objects, Lament, and the Limits of Scholarly Distance

This paper explores the relationship between grief, material culture, and scholarly method through reflections drawn from my forthcoming book, When God Is Silent: Love, Lament, and the Work of Staying (Cascade Books, 2026). Focusing on what may be called “memory objects of the dead”, ordinary items that become charged with meaning after loss, the paper examines the methodological challenges of writing about such objects within academic disciplines that often treat them as inert artifacts. Drawing on theology, ethics, and material culture studies, I argue that prevailing scholarly approaches can overlook the relational dimensions that give these objects their power for those who grieve. Through the example of “The Box,” a collection of personal items belonging to a deceased child, the paper reflects on how memory objects mediate presence, absence, and longing; proposing a more relational approach to studying material culture and death.