Stephen Jenkinson (born 1966) is a Canadian author, speaker, and teacher known for his work on grief, mortality, and cultural narratives surrounding death. He founded the non‑profit organization The Orphaned Life and serves as its director, offering workshops, retreats, and seminars that explore the meaning of life and death in contemporary society.
Early life and education
Jenkinson was born in Canada and grew up in Alberta. Specific details regarding his early education and family background are not widely documented in publicly available, verifiable sources.
Career
Teaching and facilitation
Since the early 2000s, Jenkinson has conducted workshops and retreats for individuals and groups, focusing on confronting personal and cultural avoidance of death. His programs often incorporate storytelling, mythic analysis, and reflective practices aimed at fostering a more authentic relationship with mortality.
The Orphaned Life
In 2005, Jenkinson established The Orphaned Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing indigenous and ancestral perspectives on death and grief. The organization provides resources, publishes writings, and hosts events related to these themes.
Public speaking
Jenkinson is a frequent speaker at conferences, universities, and public events in North America and Europe. He has presented talks on topics such as “the cultural story of death,” the role of grief in personal development, and critiques of modern medical approaches to dying.
Publications
Books
- Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul (2013) – a collection of essays that advocates for a cultural shift toward acknowledging and embracing the inevitability of death.
- Come of Age: The Risk of Being Adult (2020) – explores the psychological and societal challenges of adulthood, integrating themes of mortality and personal responsibility.
Articles and essays
Jenkinson’s writings have appeared in various magazines, journals, and online platforms, where he discusses grief, myth, and the cultural implications of contemporary attitudes toward death.
Philosophical perspective
Jenkinson’s work is informed by a synthesis of Western existential thought, indigenous mythologies, and a critique of modern consumerist culture. He emphasizes the importance of personal honesty regarding death and encourages individuals to develop “a language of grief” to articulate loss.
Reception and impact
Jenkinson’s teachings have garnered a following among those interested in death studies, spirituality, and alternative approaches to mourning. Critics have noted the emotive and poetic nature of his presentations, while supporters commend his ability to articulate culturally suppressed aspects of the human experience. Academic citations of his work appear primarily in interdisciplinary studies of death, culture, and narrative therapy.
Personal life
Publicly available information about Jenkinson’s private life, including marital status and family, is limited, as he maintains a degree of personal privacy.
External links
- Official website: [theorphanedlife.org] (provides information on workshops, publications, and upcoming events)
- Interviews and talks: Available on platforms such as YouTube and public broadcasting archives.
