Adolescent Spiritual Exemplars

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to develop theory about psychological constructs relevant to spiritual development in diverse adolescents. Exemplar and Consensual Qualitative Research methods were used to explore 30 interviews of adolescents aged 12 to 21 years (M = 17.73 years) representing eight religions and six countries from around the world. Participants were nominated for living with profound spirituality within their own culture and completed semistructured interviews in their country of origin. After several iterations of analysis, participants’ discussions of spirituality in their lives were explored in terms of three dimensions of spirituality present in their lives: transcendence, fidelity, and behavior. Findings are considered in light of existing developmental theory, and implications for adolescent development are discussed.

Religion, Spirituality, and Thriving: Transcendent Narrative, Virtue, and Telos

“…In terms of empirical and qualitative evidence supporting the inclusion of transcendent narrative identity in the conceptualization of virtue for adolescents, Maclean, Walker, and Matsuba (2004) found positive correlations between identity integration, moral reasoning, religiousness, and selfreported altruism. King, Clardy, and Ramos (2014) found that personal morality was embedded within spiritual and/or religious identity. In the narratives of spiritual exemplars, moral terms were used to describe participant's central values, goals, life purposes, and understanding of ideals.…”

“…Some people have goals that are overarching concerns, which organize the entire goal system. Often referred to as purpose or ultimate concerns, these higher-order motivations are more likely to become incorporated into narrative identity when they include transcendent or spiritual content, and they are especially potent predictors of positive development (Emmons, 1999;King et al, 2014).…”

“…Similarly, the characteristic adaptations that support happiness, zest, or vitality might undergird the virtue of joy when there is connection to transcendent narrative. Interviews of adolescent spiritual exemplars illustrated how transcendent sources of meaning and purpose informed significance in life, and enabled highly spiritual youth to experience joy in face of suffering and disappointment (King et al, 2014). Future research is needed to test this model with multiple virtues.…”

“…Historically, religious traditions and institutions have offered self-transcendent narratives that provide youth with meaning and purpose (Damon et al, 2003;Furrow, King, & White, 2004;King, 2003King, , 2008King & Boyatzis, 2015;King et al, 2014;Lapsley & Hardy, 2017;Liang & Ketcham, 2017). People regularly imbue seemingly mundane goals with sacred meaning, a process referred to as sanctification.…”

“…The content of religious beliefs not only informs the developing young person's cognitions, values, attitudes, and beliefs about themselves and the world; the sacred nature of religious beliefs also imbues meaning into characteristic adaptations supporting virtues (e.g., goals, empathetic concerns, regulatory processes). Transcendence not only involves shifting cognitions beyond the self; it also has an affective element that inspires devotion and commitment that integrates moral ideals and goals with personal identity (King et al, 2014;Lerner, Dowling, & Anderson, 2003). Moral and spiritual exemplars (both adolescent and adult) testify to both specific experiences and general conceptualizations of transcendence that inform their understanding of themselves and the world, which motivate them to live moral lives (e.g., Colby & Damon, 1992;King et al, 2014).…”