ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the origins, makeup, and functions of spiritual journey narratives for aging adults in the United States. It also looks at the value to spiritual communities of encouraging presentations of these narratives. Data come from qualitative analysis of an archive of 150 spiritual journey presentations and survey results available in the literature. Narratives of spiritual growth and development usually take a chronological approach, including childhood spiritual experiences. Many of the narratives stress the spiritual importance of eras such as the 1960s, the women’s movement, the anti-war movement and so forth. The rich availability of spiritually oriented writings, workshops, and practices since the 1960s also played an important role for many. We also look at what stimulates the development and presentation of spiritual journey narratives, how life stages influence the content and timing of spiritual journey statements, and how these statements compare with prominent theories of adult spiritual development.
