Spiritual Autobiography
Join Us!
“A Spiritual Autobiography is the story of your own life and how God has been present in it….Writing your Spiritual Autobiography is an opportunity to identify specific experiences of God and to reflect on how those experiences have impacted you.”-- Beth Demme – How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
No experience needed! Please join us in person in our historic 1729 Parish House for learning, fellowship, and connection.
What is a Spiritual Autobiography?
Here are a couple of definitions:
“A Spiritual Autobiography is the story of your own life and how God has been present in it….Writing your Spiritual Autobiography is an opportunity to identify specific experiences of God and to reflect on how those experiences have impacted you.”-- Beth Demme – How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
“Unlike sister genres—travelogues, family memoirs—spiritual autobiographies focus on events and experiences that shape the inner person in relationship to God. The authors of spiritual autobiographies concentrate on examining their interior experiences in order to discover coherence, structure, and meaning in the shape of an individual life.”—Amy Mandelker and Elizabeth Powers (From “Fashioning The Soul: The Shape of Spiritual Autobiography,” Editor’s Preface to Pilgrim Souls: A Collection of Spiritual Autobiographies)
What will this workshop cover?
In this workshop, we will explore the genre of spiritual autobiography by engaging with a variety of spiritual memoirs. Some of these will be from early spiritual authors, such as Julian of Norwich and Saint Teresa of Avila, while others will be more contemporary, such as Thomas Merton and Viktor E. Frankl. As we explore these writings, we will reflect on what these stories can teach us about our relationship with God and Creation and the role that our faith/spirituality plays in our lives. We will also use these writings as a jumping off point to begin sharing our own stories of our spiritual journeys throughout the different seasons of our lives.
What text will we use?
Most of our readings will come from the following anthology: Mandelker, Amy, and Powers, Elizabeth, eds. Pilgrim Souls: A Collection of Spiritual Autobiographies. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Who can I contact to learn more about this workshop?
If you would like more information about the workshop curriculum and schedule, please email workshop facilitator Beth St. John.
Where can I go to learn more about Spiritual Autobiographies?
Here are a few websites to explore:
United Methodist Church Discipleship Ministries – How to Write Your Spiritual Memoir
Beth Demme – How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
Creative Writing Prompts – How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
Quaker Friends Journal – How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography