Twentieth Century Funeral Sermons/Services have Changed

Throughout the 20th century, funeral sermons began to de-emphasize the once religious content as the funeral process began to become more professional and less dominated by members of the family.  Clergy members continued to provide some sermons and commendations at funerals but by the late 20th century the secularization of the American society led to an increase of participation in the services done by friends and family providing eulogies and services that often replaced the traditional religious service. Lay eulogies included movie clips, recordings, oral reminiscences, poetry reading, and even spiritual readings. The speakers would highlight accomplishments and fond memories of the deceased as well as the minor weakness or eccentricity in the deceased's character. The transformed service was to celebrate the human spirit of the deceased rather than to offer up the deceased as a religious model.

Funeral Orations and Sermons - rituals, world, burial, body, life, customs, beliefs, person, human. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2013, from http://www.deathreference.com/En-Gh/Funeral-Orations-and-Sermons.html