Spirituality and Your Life Story

Each of us has come to our current life stance through a journey of unique experiences—being born at this time, growing up in this particular social setting and culture, experiencing these specific successes and losses, and having these significant relationships. Whether we are in the early, middle, or latter part of our personal faith story, the ending is still ahead of us—and reviewing our own faith story helps us chart our course into the future. Using psychologist Dan McAdams’s idea that we make sense of life by composing our own life story, author Bradley Hanson explores how our personal identity and spirituality are influenced by the meaning and values embedded in our childhood family life and major story lines promoted by our culture. In our most basic quest to make sense of life, he considers sharply contrasting answers to five fundamental questions. With reflection and suggested group discussion questions at the end of each chapter, this study explores the idea that spirituality and one’s life story are intimately connected. Praise for Spirituality and Your Life Story “Real people tell their stories of success, love, friendship, forgiveness, and loss. Brad Hanson helps us ponder our own deepest commitments and the paths we follow to realize them. A fine book for individual reflection or group discussion.” —H. George Anderson, former presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America