writing a spiritual autobiography

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How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography

Beth Demme September 9, 2015 Blog , Church Folks , Experiencing God 2 Comments

By Beth Demme

A Spiritual Autobiography is the story of your own life and how God has been present in it. It can include your journey in, and out of, organized religion and all things spiritual.

Writing your Spiritual Autobiography is an opportunity to identify specific experiences of God and to reflect on how those experiences have impacted you.

It’s basically the story of your personal journey with God.

Before attending Seminary, I had the pleasure of participating in Sewanee University’s Education for Ministry program. We started each year by sharing our Spiritual Autobiographies. We didn’t share our entire life stories , we each took about ten minutes and shared a summary of how God had been at work in our lives through the years.

There are a number of ways to approach this exercise and I’ll include some questions at the end to guide you if you want to give it a try. In the meantime, here is an excerpt from my Spiritual Autobiography. This excerpt focuses on my relationship with churches/denominations and how that has shaped some of my theology.

Beth’s Spiritual Autobiography (Excerpt):

Not everyone’s journey with God happens in a church, but my journey is rooted there.

I grew up attending an ELCA church (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) in a mainly Southern Baptist town. I often felt like a religious outsider because while my friends were “saved” I was “confirmed.” My friends got dunked, but as an infant I had been sprinkled. My friends were often public about their faith, but to me sacred and private felt synonymous.

I vacillated between certainty and doubt, but neither felt appropriate for conversation. Meanwhile, my friends not only memorized Bible verses, they displayed them on their t-shirts.

They talked about a personal relationship with God and getting their ticket to heaven (you can buy a whole pack of them on Amazon if you need to), while I dug into studying church doctrine and the Reformation.

A friend once asked why my church used a liturgy instead of the Bible. I think she appreciated my insight as I launched into a lengthy lesson on the biblical basis for each part of the liturgy. She didn’t exactly look joyful, but I’m sure she was happy on the inside as I explained how the lectionary worked. And I’m sure she was relieved to know that the Reformation started, in part, because Martin Luther believed the Bible should be more accessible.

I wasn’t the only one who embraced my role as an outsider. I remember when the “Christian Rock Star” Carman came to our town in the early 1990’s. His concerts always included a massive altar call where people were invited to “make a decision for Christ” by coming forward. As Carman made his invitation, I just sat there with the rest of my youth group. Finally, a boy named Eric huffed a bit and said what we were all thinking: “we’re Lutherans. We get confirmed, not saved.” His righteous indignation comforted me a bit as we sat there stoically, eight among eight thousand, unwilling to submit to the overly-emotional atmosphere in the room.

Writing my Spiritual Autobiography revealed to me how my understanding of God has changed with the passing of time, but also how those early church experiences echo even today.

I’m a Methodist now, but I still often feel like a religious outsider. I worry my understanding of God will be deemed insufficient. I feel befuddled by the idea of a ticket to heaven. I wonder about the validity of highly emotional religious experiences.

As a child, I thought of God as an overlord. He watched over us and had the power to punish us, if we needed it . Later, I thought of God as watching over us with the power to intervene and help us, if we asked for it . Eventually, I came to my present belief: God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, but in ways I can’t really understand or explain.

For a time, I thought free will was proof of God’s detachment. Then I wondered if free will was a trap. Now I think free will is a gift of love.

God is beyond comprehension but still accessible to me. God is with me in my suffering and my celebrating. God is inseparable from me, but far beyond me.

God wants me to live a full life, detached from my possessions but completely attached to Him.

Everything I do and every role I play (mom, wife, daughter, sister, pastor, writer, teacher, lawyer) relates back to my relationship with God. I’ve been surprised at how that relationship has endured, even blossomed, in times of grief and seasons of struggle.

My relationship with God is a source of freedom. I may be an outsider in Christian sub-culture, but I’m an insider with God. I may have some mixed up ideas about God, but it’s okay because God’s grace is sufficient. I am not defined by my denomination, my doubts, or even by my theological errors because God’s love is powerful enough to overcome my humanity.

If it turns out I need a ticket to heaven, I trust God will provide it. If it turns out I needed to be saved at an altar call, to have said a specific sinner’s prayer, or to be dunked after a certain age, God will vouch for me.

He has so far.

If you would like to try writing your own Spiritual Autobiography, start by asking yourself these questions:

Which churches have I attended? Why?
Does God feel real to me?
When/where/with whom have I ever encountered God (during church, prayer, conversation, on retreat, reading, etc.)?
Have I had seasons of doubt or disobedience? What did that feel like? When did it end?
Who have I known who seemed to “know” God?

Your Spiritual Autobiography can be entirely private. If you would like to share it with me, I would be happy to receive it and learn from it. You can e-mail me or find me on Facebook or Twitter .

Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography

By Richard L. Morgan

Foundation Principles of Spiritual Autobiography

1. Every life is a unique, invaluable story.

2. God speaks to us in our stories.

3. Connecting our stories with God’s Story is the work of the Spirit.

4. Painful memories can be healed through stories.

5. Remembering our stories creates community and the future.

6. Faith stories are the legacy we leave.

7. Stories create meaning … at any age.

Your Spiritual Lifeline

1. Draw Your Lifeline

Draw a horizontal line across a piece of paper. The horizontal line represents your spiritual lifeline.

On your lifeline write the following in black or blue ink:

At the extreme left of the line, write the year of your birth. Write it in large numerals, since this is the year your history began.

At the extreme right of the line, write the year you think you’re going to die and your age at that time (predicted death). A simple way to guess that date is to add the number of years you will live to your birth date, so that if you’re born in 1940, and you predict you’ll live to be 90, your predicted death year is 2030.

Put an X on your lifeline to represent where you are now, that is, the present year.

Your spiritual lifeline might look like this:

2. Add Life Events

Acknowledge that every life story has its ups and downs, its celebrations and crises—in the past, the present, and the future.

Draw three to five small ovals above and below the line.

Jot down in a phrase or two some of the celebrative moments of your life in the ovals above the lifeline.

Jot down some of your crises in the ovals below the lifeline.

Write just a phrase or two. Remember this is just one look at your life. If you repeat this exercise several months or years later, you will add other events. Remember that life has its joyful and painful moments; all are part of your story and deserve to be included.

3. Think about Grace Moments

Focus on “grace moments”—moments when God was present in your life story. Raise the following questions about your grace moments:

What was the moment?
Who were the significant people involved?
What were your feelings?
What were the consequences?
Where did God fit into this situation?

Close these exercises with this prayer or a prayer of your choosing.

Dear Lord, thank you for your presence with us through all the seasons of life ... through the times of milk and honey and through our wanderings in the wilderness.

Thank you, Lord, for your potter’s hands at work in all of life.

Lord, we give thanks for children; for their boundless energy, their curiosity, their love, their openness, their joy of life.

Thank you, Lord, for your potter’s hands at work with children.

Lord, we give thanks for young adults; for their growing search to build meaningful lives, for their new ideas and approaches to the problems of society, for their children and the loving families they seek to build.

Thank you, Lord, for your potter’s hands at work with young adults who are beginning their life’s work.

Lord, we give thanks for those in the middle of life; for the families they have guided into adulthood, for the life work they have built and sustained, for the faith they have nurtured in others, for the presence they provide as they walk life’s path with their parents and older friends.

Thank you, Lord, for your potter’s hands at work with those in the middle of life.

Lord, we give thanks for those grown up and grown older; for the experiences they have survived, for the wisdom with which they have been blessed, for the spiritual richness of their lives, for their witness of faith.

Thank you, Lord, for your potter’s hands at work with those grown [older].

Lord, we give thanks for the cloud of witnesses that has gone before us, leaving their imprint of life and faith upon each of us ... and upon your world.

Thank you, Lord, for your potter’s hands at work with those who have gone before us.

Creator God, we are indeed thankful that in each stage of life you bless us with your presence. At every age ... you mold and shape us with your potter’s hands into people with purpose and value who can reach out to others, touching humanity with the love that only you can give us.

Praise be to God. Amen.

Adapted from pp. 17, 35-37, 39 of Remembering Your Story: Creating Your Own Spiritual Autobiography by Richard L. Morgan. Copyright © 2002 by Richard L. Morgan. Used with permission of Upper Room Books.

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Writing a Spiritual Autobiography: 6 Easy Steps to Write The Soul’s Journey

Introduction.

Within the landscape of self-discovery and introspection lies a profoundly transformative endeavor—the crafting of a spiritual autobiography. Capturing one’s spiritual voyage through life, this exercise stands as a compelling and introspective venture that doesn’t just foster personal growth but also possesses the potential to resonate and inspire others on their individual paths. It serves as a narrative journey, delving into the profound realms of one’s beliefs, the tapestry of experiences, and the intricate evolution of the soul itself.

The creation of a spiritual autobiography is more than just a documentation; it’s an opportunity for deep reflection and exploration. It invites individuals to weave together the threads of their spiritual insights , unfolding a narrative that not only articulates personal growth but also encapsulates the transformation of beliefs over time. As one delves into this narrative, the exploration is not merely a retelling of experiences, but an invitation to traverse the innermost landscapes of the soul, shedding light on the evolution and revelations that have shaped one’s spiritual being.

Key Highlights The Depth of Self-Discovery: Unveiling the profound layers of personal growth and spiritual revelation. Navigating Life’s Pivotal Moments: Reflecting on transformative experiences that shaped spiritual beliefs. Crafting Authentic Narratives: Expressing genuine vulnerability and authenticity in storytelling. Journey of Beliefs and Values: Articulating the evolution and impact of personal spiritual convictions. Lessons from Life’s Tapestry: Reflecting on challenges and growth that sculpt spiritual understanding. Universal Connection through Diversity: Acknowledging varied spiritual paths and their collective significance. Continuous Evolution of the Soul: Recognizing that the spiritual autobiography is an ongoing narrative.

The Essence of a Spiritual Autobiography

A spiritual autobiography is more than just a chronological sequence of events; it’s a heartfelt exploration of the inner self and its relationship with the world. It encapsulates the influences, experiences, and realizations that have shaped one’s spiritual beliefs and convictions. Through this introspective process, one can uncover the essence of their beliefs, values, and connections with the divine, however they perceive it.

Steps to Compose a Spiritual Autobiography

1. self-reflection and introspection.

Begin by delving deep within yourself. Reflect on the pivotal moments, experiences, and people that have influenced and shaped your spiritual journey. Ask yourself fundamental questions: What events or encounters significantly impacted your spiritual beliefs? How have your beliefs evolved over time? What practices or rituals do you follow that contribute to your spiritual growth?

2. Structuring the Narrative

Decide on the structure of your autobiography. You might choose to follow a chronological order, or opt for a thematic approach, focusing on specific aspects of your spiritual journey. Consider incorporating anecdotes, pivotal experiences, and moments of realization to make the narrative engaging and relatable.

3. Authentic Expression

Be genuine and authentic in your storytelling. Share your vulnerabilities, doubts, and moments of clarity. Honesty and transparency create a deeper connection with the reader, offering insights and wisdom gained from personal challenges and triumphs.

4. Exploration of Beliefs and Values

Outline your spiritual beliefs, practices, and values. Whether you follow a particular religion, spirituality, or a unique blend of beliefs, articulate the reasons behind your convictions. Discuss the impact of these beliefs on your everyday life and interactions with the world.

5. Lessons and Growth

Reflect on the lessons learned and personal growth that has emerged from your spiritual journey. Discuss how challenges or hardships have shaped your beliefs or led to personal transformation. Share the wisdom gained and the principles that guide your life.

6. Connection and Universality

Express how your spiritual journey connects you to a broader universal truth or collective human experience. Acknowledge the diversity of spiritual paths and how they contribute to the tapestry of human existence.

Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography: A Soulful Journey

Crafting a spiritual autobiography is a meditative and transformative process. It allows you to recognize and celebrate your unique spiritual path while acknowledging the interconnectedness of all beings on a spiritual level. Through the act of writing and reflecting, you not only understand yourself better but also contribute to a larger conversation about spirituality, human experience, and the quest for meaning and purpose.

As you embark on this journey of self-exploration and storytelling, remember that a spiritual autobiography is a work in progress. Your spiritual journey is ongoing, and your narrative will continue to evolve, just as your soul continues to grow and deepen its connection with the divine.

In the end, your spiritual autobiography isn’t just a personal tale—it’s a testament to the universal quest for understanding, connection, and the pursuit of the divine that resides within us all.

Sample Spiritual Autobiography

Here’s a sample introduction for a spiritual autobiography using the name Michael:

In the realm of self-discovery and profound introspection, there exists a transformative journey—Michael’s Spiritual Odyssey. This autobiographical endeavor encapsulates the vibrant tapestry of Michael’s spiritual evolution, offering not just a personal pilgrimage but an insightful narrative capable of resonating with kindred seekers. Michael’s story is a testament to the depths of beliefs, experiences, and the soul’s profound metamorphosis.

Michael’s Spiritual Odyssey is more than a mere documentation; it’s an invitation to explore the sacred corridors of personal spirituality . Through the art of storytelling, Michael navigates the intimate passages of belief systems, revealing the intricate mosaic of experiences that have shaped his spiritual identity. This odyssey doesn’t merely recount events; it beckons the reader to embark on an expedition through the depths of Michael’s soul, illuminating the milestones, transformations, and revelations that have defined his spiritual being.

Frequently Asked Question

1. what’s the difference between a spiritual autobiography and a regular autobiography.

A spiritual autobiography primarily focuses on the individual’s inner spiritual journey, exploring their beliefs, experiences, and how these have shaped their understanding of the divine or spiritual aspects of life. While a regular autobiography may cover a wide range of life events, relationships, and achievements, a spiritual autobiography delves deeper into the spiritual or transcendental dimensions of the individual’s life.

2. How personal should I get in my spiritual autobiography?

Authenticity and personal depth are key elements of a spiritual autobiography. Being open and vulnerable about your spiritual struggles, doubts, moments of clarity, and transformative experiences can make your narrative more relatable and impactful. However, the level of personal disclosure is entirely up to you. Share what feels comfortable, and always consider the impact of your words on yourself and others.

3. Should I include specific religious beliefs or experiences in my spiritual autobiography?

Your spiritual autobiography is a reflection of your personal journey, and that can encompass any spiritual or religious beliefs that have impacted you. Whether your path is deeply rooted in a particular faith or if it’s more eclectic and experiential, feel free to include your experiences, rituals, teachings, or spiritual encounters that have influenced your beliefs. However, ensure to express your beliefs in a respectful and inclusive manner, acknowledging the diversity of spiritual paths.

Remember, these FAQs serve as general guidance. Your spiritual autobiography is a personal narrative, and you have the creative freedom to shape it according to your comfort and beliefs.

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Home Equipping Leaders Older Adults How to Write your Spiritual Memoir

July 25, 2019

How to Write your Spiritual Memoir

By Scott Hughes

By The Rev. Dr. William B. Randolph

In the years since my parents’ passing, I have found myself saying, “I wish I had asked Dad or Mom about something when they were still living.” This wish applies doubly when it comes to asking them questions about their faith, since they were the original source of my understanding of God. Though they shared openly their own beliefs and stories about how they came to faith, unfortunately, I never recorded any of it. Neither did they leave behind their own record of faith. Because I have come to realize just how much my own faith journey was influenced by my parents’ relationship with God, I have learned how important it is to write – and periodically update – my own spiritual autobiography. I know the gift that a spiritual memoir can be to love ones left behind. But even more so, I am aware of the gift that spiritual memoirs or autobiographies can be to those who write them. They can help their authors better appreciate their own lives and comprehend God’s presence throughout their lifetimes.

Spiritual autobiographies can be a wonderful ministry tool with baby boomers and older adults who are thinking about their legacy and purpose in life. For many people, the idea of writing their life story is a daunting and overwhelming task. Left to their own devices, older adults may not know how and where to begin to record or keep their stories going. There are several common methods and systems available for recording a spiritual autobiography. Older-adult leaders should pick one method they trust and then experiment with this method themselves before handing it off to those they serve. Chances are, if a leader finds the method too time consuming, it will be too time consuming for the average older adult. Or if a leader finds the method is incomplete or confusing, then it will seem incomplete and confusing to the older adults.

One of the more common methods of spiritual autobiography is the question and answer method , which has proven questions that are designed to reveal patterns and common themes in a person’s life. The responses to the question form the core of a narrative which becomes the autobiography. When this method is followed, the writer only needs to link the answers together to form a spiritual autobiography.

A second common methodology begins with having the writer list the major events from his or her life and reflect on the events with the idea of looking for a common theme or unifying principle to tie the events together. This methodology becomes a guided tour of life, so the writer is able to see the moments of life that changed, challenged, and contributed to the faith journey.

Perhaps less known, but equally effective, is the methodology that begins with the desired result and reverse engineers it by working backward from the greatest faith insights one has learned in growing more like Christ.

Churches can use a variety of formats in helping older adults write their spiritual memoirs. Traditional instruction methods such as classes, workshops, and seminars in autobiography writing are common. Individual interviews by trained writers on a one-on-one basis, is another effective approach. However, this method can be expensive if the church decides to purchase a commercially available spiritual autobiography service. A creative approach for smaller, less affluent churches might be to train volunteers to conduct interviews and write the autobiographies for the older adults. This also works well as a group activity. Older adult members could be assigned to interview one another and serve as writing partners who work together on each other’s memoirs. Churches could use an intergenerational approach and ask children and youth in the church to record interviews with the older adults. One church asked older adults to bring their photograph albums and collections of pictures, slides, and images to church. Then they were to describe to the youth and youth leaders what was happening when the picture was taken. A great season to collect these interviews is during Advent and Lent. During Advent, older adults can reflect upon memorable Christmases. During Lent, they can be asked to reflect on their views about heaven and death and dying. This can be a helpful way to work with seniors in death preparation. Another intergenerational approach is to interview the adult children of older adults and their older-adult parents, asking them to answer the same series of questions about faith. The Office on Aging and Older-Adult Ministry has several sets of starter questions available for completing this task.

Whatever the method chosen to help older adults write their autobiographies, it is a great form of older-adult ministry. Helping older adults write their faith narratives can be a valuable gift for their loved ones and themselves. In writing their spiritual memoirs, older adults can see how sustaining their faith has been. They will grow in appreciation for who God created them to become in life as they share their stories with loved ones.

At the end of this resource is a list of resources for help in writing spiritual autobiographies.

10 steps for organizing your writing

The hardest thing about writing a spiritual mem oir is just getting started. The second hardest thing is knowing when to finish. Unless you have made a career of writing, it will probably seem hard at first. However, once you get started, the more you write, the easier it will seem. The tasks might even reverse themselves: it becomes easy to write but much harder to stop. These tips are designed to get you started in writing the story of your relationship with God and the narrative of your faith by giving you 10 steps for organizing your writing.

Get a feel for the work. One of the best ways to learn how to write your life story is to read some of the great autobiographies that have been committed to print. Benjamin Franklin, Katharine Hepburn, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, and Billy Graham all have written excellent autobiographies that are inspirational and can be a model for a person’s own autobiography.
Understand your intended audience. Writing for family members requires less detail when describing familiar. Provide your own memories and perspective on events, and include interesting facts and anecdotes. Those outside your group of friends and family will need more information. Think how you would describe these people and events to a stranger.
Develop a core concept (central unifying theme) . What is key to the story of your life? Determining one main reoccurring theme will help weave continuity and interest throughout your autobiography.
Jump-start memories . Think about all the different periods in your life. Look through scrapbooks, souvenirs, photos, and mementos with friends, relatives, partners, for their memories of you. Visit places you have lived, worked, gone to school. Make a list of events and draw a timeline for the events. Then jot down reflections about the timeline events.
Organize or outline your story . An outline will help keep you organized; think of it as your road map. Some writers make them but putting events or thoughts on note cards, number them, and then organize them in a box. Others use a whiteboard outline. There are also applications on smartphones and computer programs to help you organize your story into a theme. What is the key to your story? What makes you different?
Write every day and then share what you have written with God through prayer. Find time to write every day. Set aside a regular time for you to write about each section or event or theme of your life without distractions. Some people prefer early morning; others write better late at night. Writing must become routine and ritual in your schedule.
When you complete a chapter, allow it to rest for a period of time. When you are ready, read it over again and edit or cut out unnecessary words and long sentences. Look for writing flow and interrupted thoughts. Have a friend read it back to you. Describe your thoughts as it is read back to you. Do not be afraid to make it funny. Develop a voice to your writing, whether irreverent, authoritative, or sarcastic.
Employ all tools available to you . Dictionaries, encyclopedias, web browsers, spell checkers, word processing word counts, and grammar analysis all are important aids to help polish your writing. These tools should be a part of your routine.
Seek feedback. Start with acquaintances who barely know you and ask them to read sections and give you feedback. When your work is polished, have someone who knows you well read it for his or her reactions. If that person has a different memory of how events occurred, do not allow that to affect your presentation, because it is your presentation.
Make final revisions. Address disputed items in the timeline, listen to suggestions of what to change, think about how to simplify or improve your story. Add images or supporting material. Lastly, add details such as chapter headings and table of contents.

Now that you have gotten started writing your spiritual history, do you want to make it really great? The best way to write a really great spiritual autobiography is learn from the mistakes of others. Here are seven common mistakes that trip up first-time spiritual memoir writers.

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography

Do not use your memoir like therapy. This memoir isn’t your diary. It’s your story. If you’re writing it for someone else or to publish, you’re writing for an audience. Try to do more than share deep interior thoughts or focus on details that matter only to you. Instead, focus on the lessons you’ve learned and about the main points you want to make.
Do not worry too much about hurting people. Tell the truth, but do not worry about what others think since it’s detrimental to the story you are trying to write. You can always change names, tweak events, and rearrange details to keep from exposing the people who don’t want to be a part of the memoir. Before you write your story, be honest with the people around you about your intentions, and ask their permission to write about them.
Write your story as a memoir or autobiography, not a bestseller of what you like and don’t like in life. Autobiographies and memoirs exist to express the essence of moments in time, not to list a series of events. Don’t restrict your story to a front-to-back chronology of how you ended up where you are today. Instead, concentrate on the most compelling moments, memories, and emotions rather than events. Focus on the purpose and highlight what fits the purpose of your memoir. Just as you would allow yourself to skip time, ignore meaningless events, and skip to the good stuff in a play, do so in the memoir.
Be balanced in your writing, not making yourself the villain or hero. It can be tempting to paint yourself a victim or the hero of every situation, or the only character in your story. Do not write a revenge piece or a one-sided view. Instead, expose your weaknesses alongside your strengths. Show where you fail, explain where you fall short, and your readers will appreciate your candor.
Do not try to appeal to everyone. It’s a mistake of any author to write to too broad an audience. Don’t make your story so generic or too specific that the audience cannot relate or see themselves in your life. Don’t try to write it for too many different kinds of people. Instead, target a specific audience. Your writing will have a much stronger impact on readers who feel they can relate.
Do not wait for the right time. Don’t hesitate to write your memoir because you think you haven’t lived enough yet. Lots of people write several autobiographies or memoirs to cover different chapters or periods of their lives. Instead, start documenting your life right now. Write a journal, keep a blog, and take notes about the life around you. Instead of waiting until the end of life to compile, do it now and revise it in three to five years; or write a new memoir then.
Do not copy someone else’s story. It’s a mistake to try and write like famous authors or even to try writing memoirs after reading someone else’s. You have to develop your own idea of what is important. Instead, develop your own voice or way of writing.

Spiritual Autobiography Resources

Books (in order of recommendation)

Remembering Your Story , by Dr. Richard Morgan, Upper Room Books, (2002)
Writing Life Stories: How to Make Memories into Memoirs, Ideas into Essays and Life Into Literature , by Bill Roorbach, Writer’s Digest Books (2008).
Writing Your Life, 4E: A Guide to Writing Autobiographies , by Mary Borg, Prufrock Press, (2013).
The Story of Your Life: Writing a Spiritual Autobiography , by Dan Wakefield, Beacon Press, (1990).
Voices of Aging , by Missy Buchanan, Upper Room Books (2015).
Life bio – Biography writing service geared toward older adults
University of California Berkley, Online Course in Spiritual Autobiographies
Healing Memoir and Spiritual Autobiography with Linda Joy Myers
Guided Autobiography Service

Scott Hughes is the Executive Director of Congregational Vitality & Intentional Discipleship, Elder in the North Georgia Conference, M.Div. Asbury Theological Seminary, D. Min. Southern Methodist University, co-host of the Small Groups in the Wesleyan Way podcast, creator of the Courageous Conversations project, and facilitator of the How to Start Small Groups teaching series.

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How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography – Crafting a Soulful Tale of Life and Faith!

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography – Crafting a Soulful Tale of Life and Faith!

Finding Your Purpose: The Beginnings of Your Spiritual Autobiography

Reflecting on life’s journey: choosing the most meaningful moments, unveiling your innermost beliefs: sharing your faith with authenticity, crafting an engaging narrative: weaving emotion and detail into your story, the power of loss and redemption: uniting the spiritual and mundane, integrating personal growth: exploring transformation and awakening, 1. embrace uncertainty:, 2. seek community:, celebrating connection: sharing your spiritual autobiography with others, frequently asked questions, in conclusion.

Embarking on the journey of self-discovery and uncovering your purpose is an extraordinary endeavor that requires introspection and reflection. Your spiritual autobiography serves as a compass, guiding you towards a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. By delving into your life experiences and exploring your spiritual beliefs, you can uncover the threads of meaning that weave throughout your existence.

Begin by creating a sacred space where you can retreat and dedicate time to self-reflection. Use this space to delve into the depths of your soul and explore your true passions, values, and desires. Take a moment to contemplate the following questions:

What experiences have shaped who I am today?
What moments in my life have felt deeply meaningful or significant?
What values and beliefs have guided my journey so far?
What are my innate talents and strengths?
What brings me joy and a sense of fulfillment?

Embrace the power of self-discovery and use your spiritual autobiography as a tool to uncover your unique purpose. As you write, don’t shy away from exploring the challenging moments or the times of uncertainty. Reflect on how these obstacles may have served as catalysts for growth and transformation. With each word you pen, you are laying the foundation for your spiritual awakening and embracing a path of self-realization. Allow your spiritual autobiography to be a testament to your authentic self and a guide for embarking on the beautiful journey of living a purpose-driven life.

Reflecting on Life's Journey: Choosing the Most Meaningful Moments

In the grand tapestry of life, there are certain moments that stand out as truly remarkable, moments that become markers of our journey and define who we are. These meaningful moments, like glittering gems along an untrodden path, shimmer and catch our attention when we reflect upon our lives. They are the memories that warm our hearts, bring a smile to our faces, and remind us of the beauty and depth that exists within the human experience.

Selecting the most meaningful moments from our journey can be an incredibly personal and soul-searching endeavor. It involves sifting through a vast reservoir of memories and emotions, pondering the milestones and transformative experiences that have shaped us. These moments can range from the small, seemingly insignificant acts of kindness to the grand achievements that pushed us beyond our limits. They might include the joy of holding your newborn baby for the first time, the euphoria of overcoming a lifelong fear, or the bittersweet serenity of bidding farewell to a loved one. What makes these moments truly meaningful is the impact they had on our growth, the lessons they taught us, and the connections they forged.

Self-Discovery: Moments that ignited self-reflection and led to a deeper understanding of oneself.
Relationships: The bonds formed, strengthened, or healed with friends, family, or partners.
Personal Achievements: Accomplishments that pushed beyond boundaries and instilled a sense of pride and self-worth.
Acts of Kindness: Experiences where compassion and empathy left an indelible mark on our hearts.
Turning Points: Decisions or events that brought significant change and redirected the course of our lives.

Unveiling Your Innermost Beliefs: Sharing Your Faith with Authenticity

Sharing your faith can be a profoundly fulfilling experience, as it allows you to connect with others on a deeper level and express your innermost beliefs. However, it is vital to approach this practice with authenticity to ensure meaningful interactions and genuine connections. Here are a few key points to consider when unveiling your innermost beliefs:

Embrace your own journey: Before sharing your faith, take time to reflect on your spiritual journey. Understand the unique experiences and beliefs that have shaped your worldview, enabling you to communicate your beliefs from a place of genuine understanding.
Listen with empathy: Engage in active and empathetic listening when someone else shares their beliefs or doubts. By showing respect and curiosity towards their perspective, you create an open space for dialogue that goes beyond simple proselytization.
Lead by example: Demonstrating your faith through actions and values can often be more impactful than words alone. Let your authentic character shine through by embodying the core tenets of your belief system, inspiring others to explore their own spirituality.

Sharing your faith authentically is an ongoing journey that requires patience, understanding, and open-mindedness. Remember that it is okay to have doubts or questions yourself, as vulnerability can foster deeper connections . Embrace the opportunity to connect with others on a spiritual level, knowing that even small encounters may have a profound impact on someone’s life. Let your authenticity be the foundation upon which you share your innermost beliefs.

Crafting an Engaging Narrative: Weaving Emotion and Detail into Your Story

When it comes to storytelling, the key to capturing your readers’ attention lies in the emotional connection they form with your narrative. By infusing your story with vivid details and genuine emotions, you can transport your readers to another world, making them feel truly invested in the journey you’re taking them on. Here are a few tips to help you craft a compelling and engaging narrative that will leave a lasting impact:

Show, don’t tell: Instead of simply stating a character’s emotions, use descriptive language and sensory details to paint a vivid picture. Allow your readers to experience the scenes through the character’s eyes and feel their emotions. For instance, rather than saying “Susan was sad,” describe how Susan’s tears streamed down her face as her voice trembled, conveying her heartbreak.
Use dialogue effectively: Dialogue is a powerful tool for expressing emotions and advancing your plot. Through dialogue, your characters can reveal their thoughts and feelings, fostering a deeper connection with your readers. Make sure the dialogue flows naturally and reflects the characters’ personalities, driving the story forward and allowing your readers to engage with the characters on a personal level.

By incorporating these techniques into your storytelling, you can create an immersive experience that hooks your readers and keeps them engaged throughout your narrative. Remember, a well-crafted story is not just about the plot; it’s about how you make your readers feel. So, don’t be afraid to delve deep into the emotions and intricate details that make your story come alive.

The Power of Loss and Redemption: Uniting the Spiritual and Mundane

In life, we often find ourselves grappling with loss – loss of loved ones, loss of dreams, loss of faith. It is during these moments of darkness that the journey towards redemption begins. The power of loss and redemption lies in its ability to unite the spiritual and mundane aspects of our existence, allowing us to find solace and meaning in the midst of chaos.

When we experience loss, it is natural to question the purpose and meaning behind our suffering. However, it is through these painful experiences that we are offered an opportunity for growth and transformation. Loss acts as a catalyst for self-reflection, forcing us to confront our deepest fears, regrets, and desires. It is in these moments of vulnerability that true spiritual enlightenment can occur, as we let go of our attachments to the mundane world and turn towards a higher power. Through introspection, meditation, and prayer, we can begin to find peace and redemption in the face of adversity.

Acceptance: Accepting the reality of loss is the first step towards redemption. Acknowledging our pain and grief allows us to begin the healing process and embark on a journey towards spiritual rediscovery.
Forgiveness: A crucial aspect of redemption is forgiveness, both towards ourselves and others. By letting go of anger, resentment, and blame, we free ourselves from the shackles of negativity and open our hearts to compassion and understanding.
Gratitude: Cultivating a sense of gratitude for the blessings in our lives, no matter how small, helps us shift our focus from the mundane to the spiritual. It reminds us of the interconnectedness of all things and allows us to find beauty and meaning even in the midst of loss.

The power of loss and redemption lies in our ability to rise above the mundane aspects of our existence and tap into the spiritual realm. It is through this union that we find solace, healing, and ultimately, a renewed sense of purpose. Embracing the transformative journey of loss and redemption enables us to live more fully and authentically, connecting with ourselves, others, and the divine in ways we never thought possible.

Integrating Personal Growth: Exploring Transformation and Awakening

When it comes to personal growth, the journey of transformation and awakening is an essential aspect to explore. It involves delving deep into oneself, uncovering new perspectives, and embracing change. This process is not always easy, but it is undoubtedly worthwhile and transformative.

One of the key aspects of integrating personal growth is self-reflection. Taking the time to pause and introspect allows individuals to understand their desires, fears, and patterns that may be holding them back. Through honest self-reflection, one can identify areas for improvement and set goals for personal development.

Embrace vulnerability: True transformation happens when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and open to change. By letting go of our defenses, we create space for growth and authentic connections with others.
Cultivate mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness helps us stay grounded, aware, and present in the moment. It allows us to observe our thoughts and emotions without judgment, letting go of negative patterns and exploring new perspectives.
Seek new experiences: Stepping out of our comfort zones and embracing new experiences is crucial for personal growth. Whether it’s traveling to unfamiliar places, learning a new skill, or trying a new hobby, these experiences broaden our horizons and help us discover new facets of ourselves.

Integrating personal growth requires commitment and perseverance. It is a lifelong journey of self-discovery, self-improvement, and ultimately, self-fulfillment. By exploring transformation and awakening, individuals can unlock their true potential and live a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

Navigating Challenges: Overcoming Obstacles on the Path of Faith

Life is a journey filled with ups and downs, and the path of faith is no exception. As we navigate the challenges that come our way, it is essential to remember that obstacles can be stepping stones towards spiritual growth and a stronger connection with our beliefs. Here are some key strategies to overcome obstacles on the path of faith:

In moments of doubt or uncertainty, it is crucial to remember that faith often thrives in the face of the unknown. Embrace the questions and allow them to motivate you to dig deeper, seeking a more profound understanding of your faith. Through exploration and open-mindedness, you can find answers and strengthen your spiritual foundation.

Surrounding yourself with a supportive community of like-minded individuals can make a world of difference in overcoming obstacles on the path of faith. Engage in discussions, share your concerns, and listen to the experiences of others. Together, you can discover different perspectives and find comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggles. Whether it be joining a local religious group, attending faith-based events, or seeking online communities, connecting with others can be a powerful source of inspiration and strength.

In the face of challenges, remember that your faith is a dynamic and personal journey. By embracing uncertainty and seeking support from others, you can overcome obstacles and grow into a stronger, more resilient individual along your path of faith.

Celebrating Connection: Sharing Your Spiritual Autobiography with Others

Sharing your spiritual journey with others can be a profoundly transformative experience. It not only allows us to reflect on our own path but also fosters a deep sense of connection and empathy with those around us. As we navigate through life, our spiritual autobiography acts as a narrative thread that weaves together the highs and lows, the joys and sorrows, and the lessons learned along the way.

When sharing your spiritual autobiography, remember that each person’s journey is unique and personal. Embrace your individuality and use this opportunity to express your beliefs, experiences, and the values that guide you. By sharing your story, you are creating a space for others to find inspiration, solace, and perhaps even a sense of validation in their own spiritual quest. Vulnerability and authenticity play a crucial role in cultivating meaningful connections , allowing others to truly see and understand the essence of who you are.

Boldly explore the pivotal moments and experiences that shaped your spiritual path.
Reflect on the challenges you faced and how they contributed to your personal growth.
Illustrate the spiritual practices, rituals, or beliefs that resonate with you the most.

By sharing your spiritual autobiography, you become a messenger of hope, love, and resilience. It encourages deep conversations, opens minds, and nurtures a sense of community. Together, we can celebrate the rich tapestry of unique spiritual journeys, sowing seeds of understanding and compassion that unite us in our common human desire for connection.

Q: What is a spiritual autobiography, and why should I consider writing one? A: A spiritual autobiography is a unique genre of writing that explores the intersection of one’s life experiences and their spiritual journey. It allows you to reflect on the significant moments that shaped your faith and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Writing a spiritual autobiography can be a deeply reflective and transformative process, helping you gain insight into your own spiritual growth and provide inspiration to others.

Q: How do I get started with writing a spiritual autobiography? A: Begin by setting aside dedicated time for reflection and introspection. Consider the key moments, people, and experiences that have influenced your spiritual path. Reflect on how these instances have shaped your beliefs, values, and relationship with the divine. Jot down any memories or emotions that arise during this process.

Q: What elements should I include in my spiritual autobiography? A: Your spiritual autobiography should reflect a cohesive narrative of your spiritual journey. Include significant events, milestones, and turning points that impacted your faith. Introduce the key individuals who have played a role in your spirituality, such as mentors, family members, or religious leaders. Additionally, discuss any challenges or crises of faith you have experienced and how you navigated through them.

Q: How can I ensure my writing feels authentic and soulful? A: To create an authentic and soulful spiritual autobiography, write from a place of honesty and vulnerability. Take the time to explore your deepest emotions and beliefs, allowing yourself to be transparent with your readers. Remain true to your unique voice and personal experiences, without fear of judgment or comparison. Remember, it’s your story, and your journey is deserving of respect and admiration.

Q: Are there any writing techniques or structures I should consider? A: While the structure of your spiritual autobiography may vary according to personal preference, consider organizing it chronologically or thematically. Arrange your narrative in a way that best captures the progression of your spiritual growth and the lessons learned. Additionally, incorporate vivid descriptions , relevant anecdotes, and contemplative reflections to engage your readers’ hearts and minds.

Q: How should I approach discussing faith and religion in my spiritual autobiography? A: Discussing faith and religion in your spiritual autobiography can be deeply personal. Be respectful of diverse beliefs and aim for inclusivity in your language. Share your experiences and convictions, but avoid proselytizing or imposing your views on others. Focus on the impact your faith has had on your life, and how it has guided you through challenges and brought you joy and fulfillment.

Q: Are there any tips for editing and revising my spiritual autobiography? A: After completing your first draft, take some time away from your writing to gain fresh perspective . When you return to it, read your autobiography critically, checking for clarity, coherence, and consistency of tone. Consider seeking feedback from trusted individuals who can offer insights and suggestions. Revise your work, keeping in mind your intended message and the overall flow of your narrative.

Q: What purpose does sharing my spiritual autobiography serve? A: Sharing your spiritual autobiography can inspire and uplift others who may be on similar paths, seeking guidance, or struggling with their own faith. It holds the power to foster empathy, understanding, and connection among readers. In addition to the potential impact it may have on others, the act of sharing your story can deepen your own sense of purpose and reaffirm your commitment to your spiritual journey.

In conclusion, writing a spiritual autobiography is a deep and personal journey that allows you to reflect on your life and faith. By following these steps and sharing your experiences, you can craft a soulful tale that touches hearts and inspires others on their own spiritual path. Happy writing!

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The Arc of Your Soul

April 1, 2022

By Donald W. McCormick

Photo by Nicolas Thomas on Unsplash.

Writing a Quaker Spiritual Autobiography

Why write a spiritual autobiography? One reason is that it helps you hear what your life says about its meaning. Your life speaks to you. Writing a spiritual autobiography brings you “face-to-face with the meaning of your personal existence,” to borrow a phrase from Ira Progoff. Writing it also helps you see the direction your spiritual life has been taking and where you’ve been led.

These are some of the reasons I wanted to write a spiritual autobiography. It would give me an opportunity to reflect on my whole life: asking “what does it mean?” People don’t do that very often, but you have to if you write a spiritual autobiography. Writing will give you a bird’s-eye view that lets you see years-long and decades-long patterns of spiritual growth that were invisible before.

All this assumes that you’re writing to gain insight into your spiritual life, but there are other reasons for writing a spiritual autobiography. We may write because “we want to pass our stories along to our children, or . . . to share our soul’s journey with loved ones, or . . . our experiences have been so transformational, our insights so hard earned, that we feel compelled to share them,” according to Elizabeth Andrews, author of Spiritual Memoir .

Quakers have written over a thousand spiritual autobiographies since the 1600s. In his book Quaker Journals: Varieties of Religious Experience Among Friends Howard Brinton wrote that “the religious autobiography, usually called a ‘Journal,’ has been the most characteristic form of Quaker writing.” It’s also one of the most influential forms. Two of the books that have had the greatest impact on Quakerism are spiritual autobiographies: The Journal of George Fox and The Journal of John Woolman .

Early Quaker authors often wrote about their inner conflict and struggle with the temptations of worldly activity, which they ultimately resolved by living according to the guidance of the inner teacher. This results in inner peace. They often wrote to encourage others on the spiritual path.

Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash

A Course on Writing a Spiritual Autobiography

I taught a course on writing a spiritual autobiography in my monthly meeting and used the process of teaching it to write one of my own. Since this was an eight-week course and we wanted everyone to be able to read their spiritual autobiography to the class, ours were short: about ten pages. This could’ve been an end in itself or a starting point for those in the class who wanted to write a full-length spiritual autobiography.

Often we started a writing exercise in class and completed it in the following week. Since writing about spiritual life involves sensitive topics and our deepest values, I took a supportive, criticism-free approach to feedback. I suggested that the participants give feedback that addressed questions like: What part of this did you want to read more about? What did you find most moving? What did you most enjoy about this draft?

The course’s first evening began with an exercise based on James Fowler’s influential theory of faith development throughout the lifespan. Years earlier I corresponded with him, asking for advice about teaching his theory in my psychology of religion course. He recommended his Life Tapestry exercise, and that’s what we used in the spiritual autobiography course. The exercise has you divide your life into roughly ten periods. For each period, you write down a phrase or two that describes your image of God or the sacred, and your main sources of meaning. This helps you see how these evolved throughout your life. It can help you see where the Spirit has been leading you.

This exercise changed the way I understood my spiritual life. I saw how my activism (in areas like antiracism, workplace democracy, psychiatric patients’ rights, and religious and spiritual diversity in the workplace) was an important source of meaning throughout my life—from junior high school to now. The exercise helped me see how I experienced this source of meaning as separate from my spiritual life until I became a Quaker in my thirties.

The exercise also underscored how much spiritual promiscuity characterized my youth, when I was seeking a spiritual home. I was raised Presbyterian and experimented with Unitarianism, Quakerism, Evangelicalism, and the Neo-American Church in high school. After that, I practiced Transcendental Meditation, Vipassana Buddhism, Subud, Sahaj Marg, Siddha Yoga, and Zen.

After we wrote something in class, we would silently reread whatever we had just written. I learned this technique from a workshop in Ira Progoff’s intensive journal method that I had taken shortly before teaching the course. His book At a Journal Workshop is the most influential book on journal writing and has stayed in print for over 50 years. Progoff, a psychologist, was heavily influenced by attending the Friends Conference on Psychology and Religion at Haverford College and his subsequent stay at Pendle Hill Study Center, where he studied Quaker spiritual autobiographies. Quakerism’s influence shows in his intensive journal workshop. He believes that “growth takes place in a person by working at a deep inner level in a sustained atmosphere of silence.” Most of the workshop is held in silence. His method also teaches that writing something is often not as significant as rereading what you wrote and how you feel about what you’ve written. I would ask my class to reread what they wrote and to jot down any feelings or other reactions they had about it in the margins. Focusing on how we experience what we’ve written can guide us: letting us know what feels right.

Much of each class session was silent, but not all of it. Participants also had the opportunity to read what they had written to the class. As we listened, we learned from each other’s experience and got a sense of the wide range of what others felt was spiritual. Early Friends often learned how to live as a Quaker by reading spiritual autobiographies (or hearing them read). Back then, they couldn’t learn this from a statement of belief that they had to recite; there was no Quaker creed. But they still needed to learn what it meant to live as a Quaker, and spiritual autobiographies helped to fill that need. They described problems that Quakers faced and the ways they dealt with them. Our spiritual autobiography course continued in that tradition.

The Quaker tradition of spiritual autobiography continues both in writing and through talks. Some monthly meetings have members and attenders give talks in which they share their spiritual life stories. Some meetings even make recordings of these talks for their library. Others have an oral history project in which they interview members about their lives as Quakers and make the recordings available.

Discovering Direction in Your Spiritual Life

Two exercises in the class helped us to see how our spirituality has been changing over our lifetimes. They reveal the arc, or threads of continuity, that run through our spiritual lives. In one exercise, we identified turning points in our spiritual lives.

The other exercise started with imagining that our spiritual life was a book in which we wrote down chapter headings. Then we took ten sheets of paper, wrote the chapter title at the top of each page, and for half an hour we fleshed out the chapters by jotting down notes for each one. We broke into dyads and shared what we learned from this. Over the next week, we expanded our jottings into a paragraph for each chapter. This gave us a very brief—four to five page—sketch of our spirituality as we experienced it throughout our lives. It helped us to see the direction our spiritual life has taken and is headed. Ira Progoff says that through exercises such as these, “We gradually discover that our life has been going somewhere.” The spiritual directions that we uncover could be good or bad. For me, some directions were good, and some were not. Recognizing a lifelong, not-so-good direction I’ve been moving in motivated me: it impressed on me that I’m going to keep going in this direction unless I do something to change it.

I identified six major directions in my spiritual life. Here are a few of them:

1. I moved from a scattered and seeking spiritual life to one that’s more focused and deeper. I mentioned earlier how I had joined many different Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic groups. In my thirties, I left this to settle down to a committed Quaker and mindfulness practice.

2. I moved from a somewhat thoughtless, closed-minded spirituality to a greater ability to think for myself and apply my critical faculties to spiritual and religious issues.

3. I became increasingly concerned with ethics. I began teaching courses in business ethics and advocating for increasing the emphasis on ethics in the curriculum of the business schools where I taught.

Looking for lifelong trends helped me see the influence of social factors on my spiritual decisions, and how their influence decreased over time. When I was young, they had way too much influence. For example, in my late twenties, I spent two years practicing Sahaj Marg (which is a mix of Hinduism and mystical Islam), even though I never really understood it and didn’t get much out of it. But I tried very hard and attended the local meetings religiously—all because I had a giant crush on a woman in the group.

I had not seen these patterns clearly before, probably because I had not really thought much about lifelong spiritual patterns. But now I saw several directions I had been heading.

What did I get from writing a spiritual autobiography? I got a deeper understanding of my spiritual life, from my earliest days to the present. Reflecting on the role of spirituality in my life as a whole gave me a new perspective.

Reflecting on Your Current Spiritual State

In another exercise, we reflected on our current spiritual state. I was clearly unhappy with how often I engaged in spiritual practices such as mindfulness or discernment.

Reflecting on your spiritual state helps you identify your strengths and challenges. When I did this, I saw that one of my strengths was my intellectual and independent understanding of spirituality. I got this in part from teaching psychology of religion and critical thinking, and from my training in the social sciences. I also saw a challenge: my spiritual practices did not have the effect on the way I feel and act in my day-to-day life that I had hoped for. Although over the years I had become more caring, less angry, more empathic, and more mindful, I was still overly focused on intellectual understanding and not engaging in enough spiritual practice. I felt like I was the Quaker equivalent of what some Buddhists call a Barnes-and-Noble Buddhist. Reflecting on my spiritual state showed me what I needed to work on. The question was how to do it. I was experiencing something close to the inner conflict described in many Quaker spiritual autobiographies of the 1600s and 1700s in which the Inner Teacher calls to the author to do something, but they are unable to follow through on it.

Watch the author’s QuakerSpeak interview, “Writing a Spiritual Autobiography,” at fdsj.nl/autobiography .

Discovering the Spiritual in Your Life

When I started this process of autobiographical spiritual reflection, my conception of spirituality was narrow. I primarily thought of it in terms of mystical experience, belonging to a spiritual community like Quaker meeting, and engaging in a spiritual practice such as meditation. The exercises in the course helped me to identify several directions that my spiritual life was moving, and I was kind of pleased with myself: that is, until I realized what I had left out. For example, I had overlooked everything to do with my work life. This was ironic since I helped found the academic sub-disciplines of spirituality in the workplace and mindfulness in the workplace.

I also saw that I often don’t recognize or appreciate sources of meaning in my life. But writing a spiritual autobiography requires that you see your life through a spiritual lens, and this can help you to recognize that activities you hadn’t thought of as spiritual do have a spiritual quality.

An exercise that helped with this had us remember moments where we were connected to something larger than ourselves. Some of what I remembered included the following:

Clerking a committee meeting with such strong concentration on Quaker process that I could sense my ego dissolving
Moments of mindful open-heartedness that happened while raising my son
Intense happiness that felt like it was beaming out of me when I was getting married by a traffic court judge (who took a short break from a trial to do the ceremony)
Singing “Amazing Grace” with the rest of the audience in a performance of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans

This exercise made me realize that when I thought of the spiritual aspects of my life, I had left out things that weren’t explicitly religious, such as transcendent moments having to do with love and music. I’d also left out less rarefied, more ordinary expressions of kindness, empathy, and compassion with my family, students, friends, colleagues, Friends, and others. The exercise helped me see how the spiritual suffused so many different parts of my life, and I was reminded of something the Dalai Lama said. Although he meditates for eight hours a day and must have had many transcendent experiences, he doesn’t define his faith in terms of them. Instead, he thinks of it in more ordinary terms, saying, “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”

So when it was all done, what did I get from writing a spiritual autobiography? I got a deeper understanding of my spiritual life, from my earliest days to the present. Reflecting on the role of spirituality in my life as a whole gave me a new perspective. It was like I could look down from the summit of the highest peak in a mountain range, and in the various spiritual mountains and valleys, I could see the paths I’ve taken, including paths I’d forgotten; paths that led to dead ends; and paths I hadn’t realized were part of my journey. And paths I still need to walk.

Donald W. McCormick

Donald W. McCormick is a member of Grass Valley Meeting in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Contact him for a copy of the syllabus or lesson plans for the spiritual autobiography course. His other interests include mindfulness and Quakerism, and the scientific study of mysticism. Contact: [email protected].

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What, Then, Is Faith?

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Writing a spiritual autobiography

There will be eight of us, nine if you count me, the workshop leader, lighting up those little Zoom squares like stars blinking onto a twilight sky, one here, a cluster there, a straggler or two until the screen is filled.

This has become a familiar routine since the start of the COVID pandemic. We are here to begin writing what traditionally has been called a “spiritual autobiography,” the story of our personal journeys to discover the guiding principles that have shaped our lives from childhood to the place where we are now.

For some, this will include the spiritual dimension of life as expressed in the religious practices of a particular faith or in their own private relationship with a higher power. Others may derive a sense of meaning or purpose by living in harmony with higher principles such as nature, beauty, community, or other cherished values.

Whatever they hold dear, whatever makes them feel connected to something bigger than themselves, they have come to this place through a lifetime of searching for what Socrates called “the good life.”

Some may have already found what they are looking for, some may be still looking, and others may simply take life as it happens without any felt need to search for more, but if they are lighting up one of those Zoom squares, they have a story they want to write.

Spiritual autobiography is a literary genre dating back to St. Augustine, whose fourth century “Confessions” is considered the first Western spiritual autobiography, telling the story of his repentance and renunciation of the sinful ways of his youth.

Every century since has produced its share of spiritual autobiographies, which have broadened in scope from the strictly religious to the more universal search for better, more satisfying ways to live lives that had either taken a destructive turn or simply felt devoid of purpose.

Although I had read a few spiritual autobiographies, most memorably Thomas Merton’s “The Seven Storey Mountain,” I had never considered writing one until the opportunity presented itself in a weekend workshop offered by Dan Wakefield, an author I admired.

In our first session, Dan explained that he came to spiritual autobiography by taking a workshop offered by his minister, the Reverend Carl Scovel at King’s Chapel in Boston. He expanded the 10-page story he wrote in the workshop, first into a story for The New York Times Sunday Magazine , and later into his book, “Returning: A Spiritual Journey.”

It was only after meeting Dan that I learned he was also the screenwriter for a television series, “James at 15,” about a boy who had moved with his family from the Midwest to Boston. As newcomers to Boston ourselves, my wife and I had enjoyed these episodes in the early days of our marriage.

Because Dan was condensing an eight-week workshop into a weekend course, he presented an abbreviated version that included a shortened form of all the essential elements and left the writing of the final autobiographical essay to be completed at home. The technique consists of a series of drawing, writing, and sharing exercises designed to bring participants back in memory, first to childhood, then adolescence, followed by drawing and writing about a mentor, friend, or guide, and concluding with drawing a map of our spiritual journey and writing the story of how we came to the place we are now.

Dan describes the details of the procedure in his book, “The Story of Your Life: Writing A Spiritual Autobiography” (Beacon Press, 1990).

Impressed with the richness and variety of the stories my classmates wrote in Dan’s workshop, I adapted the technique to help psychology interns and graduate students do the emotional work of saying goodbye at the end of their training year.

Drawing, writing, and sharing their thoughts with one another in a group setting elicited emotion and mutual support, stimulated discussion, and produced useful and sometimes surprising insights. The exercise became a rite of passage for psychology students in the hospitals where I worked until I retired.

In recent years, I have offered the full Spiritual Autobiography Workshop to groups as small as two in my local senior center and then on Zoom to as many as eight.

Dan Wakefield considers 10 to 12 people to be ideal, with a lower limit of two and an upper limit of 15. Don’t do it alone and cap your group at 15, simply because you need to allow enough time for everyone to read their papers. Although my sample size is small, I have found that when participants understand what they are signing up for from the beginning, their level of engagement is high and the narratives they produce are rich with emotion, deeply considered, and well written.

I typically join group members in doing the exercises and, time permitting, read what I have written. One is never finished writing a spiritual autobiography. It is a living document, always there to be revised with new insights, embellished with new examples, and extended with new learning experiences.

Participating in this workshop, first as a student and later as a group leader, I have joined my fellow group members on journeys of memory and imagination as they described the joys and sorrows of their childhoods, the challenges of adolescence and the family, friends, or passing strangers who were there when they needed them most.

We have walked together over bridges of empathy through sunshine and shadow, discovered the enduring values that sustain us, and written the stories of our wandering. Now with the last Zoom square blinking another star onto my desktop cosmos, we are all present and accounted for. And so, once again, we begin.

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Spiritual Exercises

St. Ignatius understood the importance of reviewing one’s life when he built this practice into the Spiritual Exercises centuries ago. His emphasis was to help a person identify past sins and so to make a detailed confession during the First Week , which focuses on our recognition of sin and of God’s abundant mercy.

Today, spiritual autobiography is one facet of a broad self-help industry. People can attend workshops on it and buy books that will help them write a spiritual autobiography. The workshops and books may or may not have a Christian framework, yet they address a fundamental need for self-awareness. Both Ignatius and today’s spiritual teachers understand the power of looking back at one’s life and reframing it in a healthy way.

In today’s post, we will concentrate on the shadow side of your life history—the difficulties, sins, and wounds that have played a part in forming you. The next post on this topic will address the more positive gifts, graces, and possibilities.

In the Gospel stories, Jesus’ first response to just about every person he met was to heal. He would heal a person even before pronouncing that his or her sins were forgiven. He saw people’s woundedness and lostness and responded with care and compassion. I think he assumed that most people recognized their own sinfulness and misery—most people except those who considered themselves righteous and were therefore blind to their own needs and sins. I think Jesus knew our tendency to look at our past and see mainly our failures, problems, and wrongdoings. He came to us to show us that we need not be defined by those things.

Writing Exercise #1

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your remembering.

Prayerfully consider your life by stages. Spend some time allowing memories of early childhood to arise. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the wound(s) you need to see. Do this with each life stage. You can do it somewhat quickly, as an overview. Or you can take a different life stage for each day or period of prayer.

As you take notes on your memories, don’t worry so much about the literal facts, such as dates, sequence of events, exact places, and so forth. Memory is quite subjective and unreliable in the most literal sense. Write more about how you perceived what happened. How do you remember the event? How did you feel then? How do you feel now?

Write down as many words and phrases as you can that describe your sin or wound: regret, betrayal, horribly disappointed, shocked, still angry, I wish I knew why, if only I had done something else, and so on.

End with a prayer something like this: Holy Spirit, we have opened this painful part of my story. For the time being, I place all of this in your care. I won’t worry over it or beat myself up about it but allow you to hold it and work with it. Help me let go for now until my next prayer time with it.

Writing Exercise #2

Invite Jesus to sit with you as you review the notes you have written about the sins/wounds in your history. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and perceptions as you talk with Jesus.

Choose a specific event, sin, or wound, and talk with Jesus about it. Here are some suggestions to start:

Lord, I think this is what was going on with me when this happened…
I wish things had gone differently, but I can’t change the past. [If this is a sin on your part] I see the hurt I caused, and I see how I harmed myself and grieved you. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. And help me receive your mercy and grace so that this memory does not get in the way of my growth now.
I still don’t understand why this happened, or who was really at fault, but it still hurts to remember this. In fact, I can see how my pain over this sometimes stands in the way of my moving forward now. Show me if I need to forgive someone, and help me begin that process.
Jesus, please tell me what you think about all this. Help me see my life—my past—as you see it.

Now, write about this part of your history again, only revised in light of your conversation with Jesus.

End with thanksgiving for the forgiveness and healing that are ongoing.

Photo by PIXNIO .

forgiveness

A beautiful gift at the beautiful gate, sin and god’s mercy.

Thank you Vinita. I ended up writing my autobiography, and just tonight I finished it, ‘though it may seem amateur, and luck of professionalusm, but thanks God it releases a thorny and sad memories however. I hope little by little I will come up the best writer in my section hehehe. If God willing. Please pray for me. I really love writing. Blessing.

Wow, this is what I have prayed for just the other night. I’ve been wondering how will I write my life story since i was a child until now that Jesus founded me through Ignatian Spiritually…Vinita, you are the answer. Thank you so much. You’re awesome.

Very insightful and thought-provoking. Can’t wait for part 2 🙂

Thanks Vinita for the methodology. It’s helpful.

Vinita, I was very excited about doing this exercise as there is a lot in my past that needs healing. After doing the second exercise I’m disappointed. I feel I haven’t been listening to Jesus properly as I still don’t seem to see things in a different light. I’m feeling the anger all over again – in fact stronger than I have felt it in a while. Where am I going wrong? Can you help please?

Thanks for your comment, Pam. We are so fortunate to have spiritual companions such as priests and spiritual directors who can help us sort out what is going on in our hearts. And aren’t you grateful that even when our prayer is “not always as heartfelt as I could like,” God’s mercy sees our effort at prayer and receives us just as we are! Peace to you.

Vinita, I agree that self-awareness is a fundamental need. When we have a disagreement with a friend and there is a falling-out what is helpful to healing in the relationship is musing on the positives of the relationship which are always more powerful than the irritations. Or should be. Jesus is a healer and his healing had no boundaries. The only people he became really irritated with (to the extent of calling them “hypocrites”) were the religious leaders of his day. Indeed, they were immune to his message because of self-righteousness. I rely on our heavenly priest’s understanding of my (frequent) sin and my prayer “Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner” if not always as heartfelt as I could like is at least a plea.

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How Writing a Spiritual Autobiography Unveiled My Path Home

‘Not in this life, it is true, but only in eternity will God be all in all, yet even now he dwells, whole and undivided, in his temple the Church.’ —Pope St. Leo the Great

Charles Lewis , April 22, 2024 – National Catholic Register

For many years my spiritual director in Toronto, Father Cris, a priest of Opus Dei and a genuinely wonderful man, pushed me to write my spiritual autobiography. And for as many years I made excuses not to.

I couldn’t see the point. We had spoken about all aspects of my spiritual life and my life before becoming a Catholic. We also spoke about the intense suffering I was going through due to a bad spine and liver cancer and how to deal with it through prayer and trust in God.

So, I was not sure what he would learn and I couldn’t figure out what would be revealed to me in recounting my own story.

Then Father Cris moved from Toronto to Madrid and I forgot all about the request. But I received an email from him about a month ago in which he wrote how much he loved his new home and about getting used to speaking and thinking in Spanish. He also mentioned some travels to some holy sites including the church built on St. Teresa of Ávila’s birthplace.

“A great strong woman who also knew about suffering,” he wrote, remembering that I loved St. Teresa.

At the end of one of the emails, he added: “Did you ever write your spiritual story?”

I decided it was time to start. For one, I had time on my hands because a series of illnesses was keeping me close to home. Also, to honor the great friend he was to me, I thought it fitting to do what he asked. If he wanted me to write it, there must be a good reason.

There was a parallel here between his request and my decision to discard all my doubts and enter the Church 15 years ago.

Before my reception, I was still wrestling with some of the Church’s teachings. I was going around in circles and not moving forward. I decided to stop hesitating and resolved to accept Catholic teachings with a full heart with the confidence that faith would bring understanding. I would learn to think with the Church — to bow down to two millennia of brilliant and holy men and women.

In a similar way, I decided to bow down to my old spiritual director’s request, trusting him as I’ve trusted few people before.

I’ve been working on it for several weeks. Even though it’s not quite finished I’ve already learned something about myself and my journey to the faith.

While writing, I recalled the times years ago when I would go into a Catholic church to just sit for a while. There was no particular reason. I would spend a few minutes enjoying the silence. For reasons I couldn’t think of at the time, I felt a tremendous peace.

I loved watching the old people kneeling in their pews reciting the Rosary. I loved the stained glass and the statues, particularly of Mary. I liked the smell of incense but believe it or not, I didn’t know the origin of the heavenly aroma.

Once you feel at home in a place it’s hard to ignore it. Intellectually I was having my battles with some Catholic teachings but the physical response I felt sitting in a pew could not be denied.

What my autobiography taught me was that becoming a Catholic is assent to dogma and doctrine, but also, maybe even more importantly, the attraction to something visceral: a deep conviction that I had arrived at home.

It dawned on me finally that the peace I was feeling was the presence of God inside his Church. I didn’t know at the time that Christ was in the Holy Eucharist held in the tabernacle but I felt him, nevertheless. It showed me that Christ works in all people, whether they believe or not.

The other night I was reading from the Liturgy of the Hours. In it was a sermon from Pope St. Leo the Great. He wrote: “Not in this life, it is true, but only in eternity will God be all in all, yet even now he dwells, whole and undivided, in his temple the Church.”

I think many of our experiences of God are realized only in retrospect. We’re blessed when we become aware of where God has been in our lives. Writing my spiritual autobiography I’m seeing how all the pieces fit. Thanks to Father Cris for seeing what I could not see.

Charles Lewis Lewis writes from Toronto.

Argentine doctor completes prison...

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How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography

No matter what your religion happens to be, or if you don’t follow any religion at all and prefer your own spiritual practices, the lessons you’ve learned from your experiences can be very helpful to others who find themselves in a similar situation. Sharing your story can be very meaningful. Here are some tips to help you get started.

#1. A spiritual autobiography is not a set of memoirs.

To write this autobiography, you must start at the very beginning of your spiritual experience. What led you to embrace your spirituality in the first place? Some people live in spiritual households where it always seemed to be a point of emphasis. For others, a major event in their life brought them to the spirituality they practice today. Share about how you came to embrace your spirituality and you will be able to start your story off strong.

#2. Discuss why you chose your specific spirituality.

There are numerous religions and types of spirituality that can be practiced today. Some people even practice hybrid religions or incorporate influences from multiple faiths and spiritual preferences to create their own unique brand of spirituality. Talk about why you practice the way you do and what that means for you.

#3. Bring up the evidence of your faith.

We believe the things that we do from a spiritual standpoint because we have seen evidence that backs up our faith in some way. We see God, or Allah, or our preferred deity or deities working in specific ways in our lives and the lives of others. Talk about the times of evidence that you have seen and how that has impacted your faith and your life over the years.

#4. How has your spirituality impacted others?

Now, most religions, faiths, and spiritual practices discourage the practice of “bragging” about our spiritual accomplishments. What good is charity if you’re doing it for your own personal pride? Spirituality can impact others around you in ways that don’t involve pride. How it impacts others can also deepen your own faith and spirituality. It is these experiences that are wonderful to include in a spiritual autobiography.

#5. What have you learned from your spirituality?

There are always lessons to be learned. Each day offers new moments to examine. We all face challenges in some way each day. What are the lessons you’ve learned from your continuing spiritual practices? Where do you see these practices taking you in the future? The answers to these questions are important to include in your autobiography because it shows people a full reflection of who you are as a spiritual person.

#6. Share the challenges your spirituality has caused.

Religion and faith are one of the most divisive components of life today. We see this struggle play out before us every day. Yet at the core of almost every spiritual experience is the desire, or need, to love one another. Some even take that idea a step further by requiring practitioners to love their enemies. When you encounter challenging circumstances, share the story of that experience. Talk about the process you went through to be able to achieve an outcome.

#7. How do your spirituality affect your daily routines?

This might be the most important question to answer when writing a spiritual autobiography. For many, the goal of practicing spirituality in some form is to create a life that is greater than without it. So how has your life become better since starting your spiritual practices? Give tangible examples of what has changed and then provide a look at what you hope will continue to change in the future.

The challenge of writing a spiritual autobiography is to format it in chronological order. So often the desire is to tell the most important or meaningful stories first, but that’s not how an autobiography works. You’re on a journey. Talk about each step forward you take, the steps backward you had to take, and don’t skip parts you might feel are unimportant.

It is often that which we feel is unimportant that someone else finds to be the most profound truth they’ve ever read. So share your spirituality, faith, or religious practices in an autobiography and you might just change the world, one person at a time.

This 47-page mini-ebook gives you everything you need to start writing your own autobiography, including:

–Developing an overall theme

–Outlining your autobiography

–Choosing a winning title

–Best autobiography layouts

–Autobiography marketing strategy and more!

Your guide is on its way! Check your inbox.

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Prose and Prayer: Teaching the art of spiritual autobiography

Very few of us can remember our infancy, but in his Confessions, St. Augustine makes an attempt, recalling a time when he knew only “to repose in what pleased, and cry at what offended my flesh; nothing more.” Consolation and desolation: the story of our lives. It was in those first pages of Augustine, those pages of bare need and barely any self-awareness, that our discussions of writing spiritual autobiography was to begin: I, the writer/academic attempting to steer the ship, and my students, adults ranging from their 20s to their 80s, all wanting to tell their stories of faith and often of its loss and rediscovery.

When I decided to teach a class on spiritual autobiographies at my parish, the church ran an advertisement in the bulletin. To my surprise, dozens of e-mail messages inquiring about the class began rolling in and kept coming in until the day of our first meeting. There were so many e-mails I began to worry about whether we would all fit into the appointed room.

We fit, but barely. On the first evening, nearly 40 people turned up. I had asked everyone to read a few sections of Augustine before we met, and I fanned out copies of the syllabus and a handout with some facts about Augustine’s life. This included a quotation from James J. O’Donnell, an Augustine scholar at Georgetown University: “Prayer is private, but literature is unfailingly public; prayer is humble, but literature is always a form of self-assertion; prayer is intimate, but literature is voyeuristic.”

“And this is what we’ll be wrestling with this summer,” I told the students. “Can we pray on paper, and make it interesting to read?”

Unlike my young writing students at the University of California, Berkeley, who are just discovering what they want to say about the world, my parishioner students came to class with everything to say about life and faith. Because my parish is near the Graduate Theological Union, the class drew in a few graduate students who knew theology backwards and forwards, but who rarely got the chance to examine their own spiritual growth. And since the church is down the hill from a senior housing complex, quite a few retirees also climbed the stairs to the room where we met. Some wanted to write their spiritual stories for children and grandchildren, others for themselves. Working adults, a few people between jobs, many practicing Catholics, a few lapsed ones and some spiritual seekers whose faith was undefined filled the chairs.

Each class meeting followed the same format: a short talk about the author we were reading, small group discussions followed by a whole-class colloquium, a writing exercise and time to share the writing students had done over the past week. Choosing the authors we read was not difficult; to start us off, I went to the classics. After Augustine we grappled with Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain. After Merton, we waded into Dorothy Day’s The Long Loneliness. After Day we read a contemporary spiritual autobiography, Sara Miles’s Take This Bread. In the five weeks we met, the only regular complaint was about the volume of reading. And yet the storires they did read were powerful: Some students had read Merton and Day decades in the past, and rediscovering what it felt like to encounter those huge personalities was like being reunited with past versions of themselves.

For most of my students, the writing was an even bigger challenge than the reading. Writing memoir is difficult for writers at any level. Parsing out segments of one’s own life, deciding what to include and not to include, taking real people, including yourself, and turning them into characters, making decisions about chronology versus thematic organization and figuring out your focus cause even the most accomplished writers to scurry away from the form or to fictionalize everything instead. There is a reason why Edna O’Brien waited until she was 82 to publish her memoirs.

O’Brien’s impossibly fascinating and often difficult life may have seemed too daunting to whittle down until she was darn ready to do it. (How many writers have had Paul McCartney write songs about them?) But memoir is also the only form that comes close to the way most people pray: talking directly to God, only in this case with the reader as proxy for God.

When we pray St. Ignatius’ Examen, we unspool our days and try to find the moments where we have moved closer to or further from God. That is what great spiritual autobiography does. It brings the reader into those moments along with the writer. It creates intimacy. This can be seen in the writers I have mentioned and in newer voices, like Christian Wiman and Mary Karr. And, slowly but steadily, I saw it unfold in the work of my students.

The first assignment was blatantly stolen from Ignatius and mashed up with an assignment I give my creative nonfiction students: create a verbal snapshot of a moment from your life. “Let’s start by brainstorming a list of details that surrounded you at either a low moment of faith (like Augustine’s pear tree incident) or a high moment of faith (like his ‘take and read’),” I told them. This exercise begins with a list: only sensory details, only things the reader can see, hear, taste, smell or touch. Then it expands from the most vivid details into a couple of sentences, which I asked the students to share with one another. After the class had paired off and erupted into loud chatter (I had to stand up and wave my arms around to quiet them down), I asked how it went. “It was hard to decide,” a retired union organizer reflected, “but once I got started, things kept coming back.”

Sense memory is a powerful thing: just think of Proust biting into that madeleine. But it is also a trigger for memories of faith. A cold chapel, a sour mouthful of Communion wine, the rough fabric of a habit worn during a brief stint in religious life. When we begin writing from details like these, the experience of memory thickens and connects us with readers. In recapturing sense memories, we write from the depths of our souls. And we get closer to the truth.

From there, they filled in the background of their stories, the who/what/when/where/why every journalist begins with. And as we read Merton and Day, I asked them to look at how those writers portrayed influential figures in their own faith lives: Robert Lax in Merton, who casually tells his friend to be a saint; Peter Maurin in Day, whose visionary nature pairs with Day’s problem-solving pragmatism. Figuring out how to turn real people into characters requires the same shift in perception it takes to see ourselves as characters.

The writer Phillip Lopate gives us a simple instruction: start with your quirks. When writing about others, do the same. So my students found holy people with quirks. A priest who sang Kurt Weil songs in German. A burly family friend who sold a car to B. B. King and knelt at daily Mass. In those quirks there were more moments of closeness to God. Remembering those scenes and recreating them on the page requires acts of imagination, yet another form of prayer straight out of St. Ignatius’ playbook. When a writer puts herself back into a moment of grace, into an encounter with someone who pushed her faith to a new or unexpected place, it can be like walking her way through a meeting with Christ, who, after all, is present to each of us. And as they stitched those moments together, my students’ stories began to emerge.

The real gift of teaching this class was the people who gathered week after week to read and talk and write and share their work. Two of my students had actually met and worked with Dorothy Day at the Catholic Worker in New York, and both of them wove her into their stories.

One evening, two other students sent me e-mails back to back. One let me know she would not be returning to class; the rare form of cancer she had been fighting through years of experimental treatments had made a return. Another needed a note from me because she had been admitted to a homeless shelter. The shelter doors locked at 6 p.m. and we met at seven; without a note, they would not let her back in. Yet they kept writing even when making it to class was difficult or nearly impossible, kept getting down the words that explained something about this fragile, perishable thing we call faith.

Some students worried that in contrast to the books we read, with their dramatic moments of revelation, their own faith lives were not interesting enough. There are very few books about the weekly trudge to Mass, the annual repetition of sacraments or the day-to-day life of your average believer in the pews. And yet those are the stories we most need to hear: we need the stories behind that trudge to understand why we keep making it.

When we write about the faith that keeps us going, it may not always be as spectacular as Merton rushing into his monastery, fleeing his sinner’s life. And yet every Mass, every confession, every Easter and even every moment of doubt and crisis has meaning. Each story we bring to the page has the potential to connect with a reader who has lived those same moments. So, no, my students’ stories were not always dramatic. But they were deep. Each brimmed with meaning and passion and grace.

I explained this work to a Jesuit friend, and watched as he got more and more excited. “Think about it,” he said. “This is something other people could do. It’s the laity in action. It’s the laity speaking for themselves.”

And it is true: anybody could offer a class like this. It brought people at my parish closer together, and the pastor had only to unlock the doors when we showed up and lock them when we left. You do not have to be an expert writer to teach writing or to write, you just have to arrive at the page with the desire to connect—with other writers, with the reader, with God—because writing your spiritual story is not just writing. It’s prayer.

Kaya Oakes , the author of Radical Reinvention: An Unlikely Return to the Catholic Church (Counterpoint), teaches writing at the University of California, Berkeley.

Chris Thomas 10 years 10 months ago Thank you for this column. This morning, I sat down to write a column of spiritual encouragement for our local parent magazine. This article is just the encouragement I needed! pax et bonum....

Beth Cioffoletti 10 years 10 months ago thank you for this article. I try to write some everyday, mostly as a way to process (and let go of) the incredible "wordiness" that can clutter up my head. Sometimes I write things that seem (to me) to be profound and I don't know where they come from. I figure it is divine guidance within me. But what your article has given me is attention to the details - the smells, the colors, the incidental things that I might gloss over. That means slowing down for me. Taking the time to notice, to tell. Again, thank you. I am in a very precarious medical situation now (metastatic breast cancer that has spread to the brain) so this is all very important and real for me.

Diane Scharper 10 years 10 months ago Great article. I teach memoir at Towson University and would like to see your syllabus. Can you email it to me? [email protected] Thank you..

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How Writing a Spiritual Autobiography Unveiled My Path Home

‘Not in this life, it is true, but only in eternity will God be all in all, yet even now he dwells, whole and undivided, in his temple the Church.’ —Pope St. Leo the Great

A small mountain chapel of the Catholic parish of St. Gallus stands near the town of Morschach, Switzerland.

So, I was not sure what he would learn and I couldn’t figure out what would be revealed to me in recounting my own story.

“A great strong woman who also knew about suffering,” he wrote, remembering that I loved St. Teresa.

At the end of one of the emails, he added: “Did you ever write your spiritual story?”

There was a parallel here between his request and my decision to discard all my doubts and enter the Church 15 years ago.

In a similar way, I decided to bow down to my old spiritual director’s request, trusting him as I’ve trusted few people before.

I’ve been working on it for several weeks. Even though it’s not quite finished I’ve already learned something about myself and my journey to the faith.

Once you feel at home in a place it’s hard to ignore it. Intellectually I was having my battles with some Catholic teachings but the physical response I felt sitting in a pew could not be denied.

spiritual autobiography

Charles Lewis Charles Lewis writes from Toronto.

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Creating from the Spirit

Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography

When I finished my memoir Returning: A Spiritual Journey, I began to think how the whole book originated from a powerful workshop I took at King’s Chapel called “Religious Autobiography,” taught by the minister of the time, Rev. Carl Scovel. I had an impulse to “pass on” some version of that experience to others—not as a “religious” workshop, since I am not a minister nor do I have any training as a “religious” of any kind in that field—but perhaps to offer it to an audience that would not be restricted to people with a connection to any religious institution, but to offer that kind of experience to anyone interested in the “spiritual” or in “spirituality” or in following or finding a “spiritual path” in life. I had been asked to give workshops in fiction or journal writing at The Boston Center for Adult Education, but I didn’t feel any calling to do that, and I asked them if they would be interested in offering a course called “Spiritual Autobiography.” The staff people I spoke with at The BCAE said they had no idea if such a subject would appeal to their audience, but they would put it in their catalog and see if it drew any interest.

I was told that for a course to go forward at The Center at that time, a minimum of twelve people would have to sign up for it. Neither the Center staff not I had any idea how many—if any!—would show up that first night, but when I walked into the classroom where the course was scheduled, there were twelve people sitting around a table.

Several of those people invited me to come and do the course at their church, and then I was asked to do it for a weekend retreat, so I had to reshape the course so that it could be offered in a two-day workshop. The original course was given over eight weeks, and each participant did the writing for the week at home and brought it to the next class and read to the class. I realized that for the shorter, more intensive format, people would have to write while in the class, and read to the class. I made the time of writing shorter, following each exercise that was given to stimulate the ideas for the writing. I found that giving people a shorter time to write led to better writing! When they did the writing at home and had a whole week to work on it, they started thinking about how other people would react to what they wrote, and they edited and rewrote so that the original flow of ideas and feelings became watered down. I was amazed at how powerful the writing became when it had to be done in a limited time—there wasn’t time to re-think, to out-guess yourself, to worry about what anyone else might think of it. The writing just flowed, and was fresh and heartfelt. I loved this way of doing it, and so did the participants.

Since those original beginnings in and around Boston, word spread, and since the first workshops in 1985 I have given them in churches, synagogues, monasteries, retreat centers, health spas, and prisons throughout the U.S., Northern Ireland, and Mexico. A book grew out of the workshops that included the writing of participants, called The Story of Your Life: Writing a Spiritual Autobiography . Originally published by Beacon Press, a new edition of the book has been brought out by Beech River books and is now available.

Some people who had done that workshop began to ask if there wasn’t another one they could do, with a different kind of emphasis and new exercises to stimulate the stories of their experience. Out of those requests I developed a new workshop called “Creating from The Spirit,” and I have now given that workshop as well in similar venues through the country – and like the fist workshop, a new book came out of it, called Creating from the Spirit . This book has also now been re-published by Beech River Books.

Workshop Praise

“Miracles … seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perception being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there about us always.”

—Willa Cather

Each of us has a rich source of creativity within us, a living well of ideas, stories, pictures, and dreams.

Author Dan Wakefield leads us through fascinating exercises in drawing and writing, and meditations on music and natural objects (trees, flowers, plants) to help us appreciate and use our own creativity.

Breaking the myth of drugs and alcohol as stimulants to creative work, we see how clarity is the key to the natural process of creation.

We learn to develop our creative resources through the use of journaling and other exercises, and discuss how to build a personal environment to maximize creativity.

Ideas are shared in breaking the “creative slump”, respecting the part that discipline plays in creativity, and learning how to use creativity in our daily life and work, whatever it may be.

“An effective way of addressing some of life’s bigger questions: What’s the purpose of your life? What values are most important to you? What have you learned? Have you been true to your ideals?”

—Chicago Tribune

“Bottom Line: An atmosphere of joyful self-discovery and community seems to prevail.”

—New Choices

“The results are amazing. Not only do the members in the workshop come to trust one another, and become a sort of .spiritual support group – with “spiritual” defined the way each member chooses – but the writing is terrific.”

—The Boston Globe

“(Wakefield) thinks of himself less as a teacher, than as a stage manager who sets up the framework for people to … bring into conscious awareness things that otherwise would remain submerged.”

—New Age Journal

“A rare chance to fan flames of vitality you think may have gone out. Dan Wakefield is a gifted, engaging, wise man. This was one of the richest experiences of my life.”

—Allan Cox, management consultant, author of Straight Talk for Monday Morning

Dan Wakefield

How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography

Erica dallas, 29 sep 2017.

When a person shares his spiritual journey, his story has the power to motivate, uplift and change another reader's life. The meaningful events a person endured can be a testimony for someone else. Writing a spiritual autobiography is difficult -- it takes patience, attention to detail and a willingness to bare your heart to others. It is also therapeutic and can help you learn about yourself.

Prepare all of your writing materials and plan your overall writing process. Decide where you want to write. Designate specific times and quiet spaces that you can concentrate and fully get your thoughts on paper or a computer. Libraries are usually ideal places for writers. Give yourself a realistic time-line for completing the autobiography.

Start by freewriting, which is a writing exercise that allows you to write nonstop without any regard for grammar or other errors. This can help to unleash the creativity and your innermost thoughts. Do this as a beginning exercise.

Create a timeline of your life and develop a thorough outline to organize the writing process. Write down the specific people, dates, places and how you felt during each incident and experience. Have a discussion with family to help you remember details of your life. Focus on the very meaningful experiences that really shaped your life. Talk with role models, teachers, ministers and the clergy who had positive influences in your life.

Connect with your potential readers by giving clear examples within each chapter. Share the lessons that you have learned and what role spirituality has played in your life. Emphasize that you are not perfect, and still evolving and growing to be a better person.

1 McGraw-Hill Higher Education; Tell It Slant; Writing the Spiritual Autobiography

About the Author

Erica Dallas has been published in periodical such as "The Commercial Appeal," "MidSouth Magazine" and "Black Enterprise Magazine." She is a native Memphian and graduate of the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in sociology. Erica is currently pursuing a Master of Science in teaching.

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How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
A Spiritual Autobiography is the story of your own life and how God has been present in it. It can include your journey in, and out of, organized religion and all things spiritual. Writing your Spiritual Autobiography is an opportunity to identify specific experiences of God and to reflect on how those experiences have impacted you.
Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography
Foundation Principles of Spiritual Autobiography. 1. Every life is a unique, invaluable story. 2. God speaks to us in our stories. 3. Connecting our stories with God's Story is the work of the Spirit. 4. Painful memories can be healed through stories. 5. Remembering our stories creates community and the future. 6. Faith stories are the legacy ...
Writing a Spiritual Autobiography: 6 Easy Steps to Write The Soul's Journey
Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography: A Soulful Journey. Crafting a spiritual autobiography is a meditative and transformative process. It allows you to recognize and celebrate your unique spiritual path while acknowledging the interconnectedness of all beings on a spiritual level. Through the act of writing and reflecting, you not only ...
Tell Me Your Story: How to Write Your Spiritual Memoir
Writing Your Life, 4E: A Guide to Writing Autobiographies, by Mary Borg, Prufrock Press, (2013). The Story of Your Life: Writing a Spiritual Autobiography, by Dan Wakefield, Beacon Press, (1990). Voices of Aging, by Missy Buchanan, Upper Room Books (2015). Websites. Life bio - Biography writing service geared toward older adults
Discipleship Ministries
The best way to write a really great spiritual autobiography is learn from the mistakes of others. Here are seven common mistakes that trip up first-time spiritual memoir writers. 7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography. Do not use your memoir like therapy.
How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
Writing a spiritual autobiography can be a powerful way to reflect on your life and share your spiritual beliefs. In this article, we'll guide you through the process of crafting a soulful and authentic tale that will inspire others. Get ready to pour your heart onto the pages and connect on a deeper level with your readers.
How To Write A Spiritual Autobiography
A Course on Writing a Spiritual Autobiography . I taught a course on writing a spiritual autobiography in my monthly meeting and used the process of teaching it to write one of my own. Since this was an eight-week course and we wanted everyone to be able to read their spiritual autobiography to the class, ours were short: about ten pages.
Guidelines For Preparing A Spiritual Autobiography
Please explain why you have chosen this goal and how it is shaping your life. (Approximately one paragraph). II. Prevenient Grace (God's grace from conception to conversion). Please describe how God's grace was evidenced in your life prior to conversion. If you were baptized as an infant, please include a description of this and the meaning ...
Writing a spiritual autobiography
Writing a spiritual autobiography. By Alan Bodnar Ph.D. September 30th, 2023. There will be eight of us, nine if you count me, the workshop leader, lighting up those little Zoom squares like stars blinking onto a twilight sky, one here, a cluster there, a straggler or two until the screen is filled. This has become a familiar routine since the ...
Writing Spiritual Autobiography as It Relates to the Spiritual
In terms of the Spiritual Exercises, one critical goal of writing a spiritual autobiography is to recognize God's action in our past: God's presence, grace, and gifts to us. If you have done the exercises of Part 1 , then you have looked at significant wounds and sins in your life story, and you have received mercy, forgiveness, help, and ...
Writing Spiritual Autobiography as It Relates to the Spiritual
St. Ignatius understood the importance of reviewing one's life when he built this practice into the Spiritual Exercises centuries ago. His emphasis was to help a person identify past sins and so to make a detailed confession during the First Week, which focuses on our recognition of sin and of God's abundant mercy.. Today, spiritual autobiography is one facet of a broad self-help industry.
PDF Writing Your Spiritual Auto Biography
ichard Peace)SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHYAs you write about the core of who you are and who you are in relationship to God and the world, you will be putting in. words your spiritual autobiography. This is almost l. e speaking the language of the soul. This is not about data or fact, but about meaning and identity and about h.
How Writing a Spiritual Autobiography Unveiled My Path Home
For many years my spiritual director in Toronto, Father Cris, a priest of Opus Dei and a genuinely wonderful man, pushed me to write my spiritual autobiography. And for as many years I made excuses not to. I couldn't see the point. We had spoken about all aspects of my spiritual life and my life before becoming a Catholic.
PDF How to Prepare a Spiritual Autobiography Episcopal Diocese of Eastern
derstand that the biography's contents will be kept in strict confidence. The following are suggested guidelines for preparing a spiritual autobiography and th. items contained in it that can assist all involved in discerning your call. Use these guidelines to think about the content of your autobiography, then write.
How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
The answers to these questions are important to include in your autobiography because it shows people a full reflection of who you are as a spiritual person. #6. Share the challenges your spirituality has caused. Religion and faith are one of the most divisive components of life today. We see this struggle play out before us every day.
Prose and Prayer: Teaching the art of spiritual autobiography
It was in those first pages of Augustine, those pages of bare need and barely any self-awareness, that our discussions of writing spiritual autobiography was to begin: I, the writer/academic ...
PDF Guidelines for Preparing a Spiritual Autobiography
s of your confidence or the nature of your doubts.This material will help you and your mentor to better understand the unique contours of you. spiritual journey and will be held in confidence. This. ll enable your mentor to be more helpful to you. Pl. 1 Source: Adaptation of material in SP775 by Dr. Arthur Thomas.
PDF Spiritual Autobiography (To be included with the other materials
Spiritual autobiographies longer than this limit will be returned for you to rewrite and may delay your process. We suggest you save a copy of your spiritual autobiography for yourself, as you may be asked to speak to some of its content. Some things to consider as you are writing your spiritual autobiography:
How Writing a Spiritual Autobiography Unveiled My Path Home
For many years my spiritual director in Toronto, Father Cris, a priest of Opus Dei and a genuinely wonderful man, pushed me to write my spiritual autobiography. And for as many years I made ...
Creating from the Spirit
Creating from the Spirit Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography When I finished my memoir Returning: A Spiritual Journey, I began to think how the whole book originated from a powerful workshop I took at King's Chapel called "Religious Autobiography," taught by the minister of the time, Rev. Carl Scovel. I had an impulse to "pass on" […]
Spiritual autobiography
Spiritual autobiography is a genre of non-fiction prose that dominated Protestant writing during the seventeenth century, particularly in England, particularly that of Dissenters. The narrative generally follows the believer from a state of damnation to a state of grace; the most famous example is perhaps John Bunyan 's Grace Abounding (1666).
PDF Moving from Your Spiritual Autobiography to Your Soul Mythology
What is a spiritual autobiography and why write mine? A spiritual autobiography is a collection of stories that represent a reflection upon significant events, influences, people, places, and other experiences that have contributed to the shaping and development of who you are and possibly your spiritual life.
How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
Writing a spiritual autobiography is difficult -- it takes patience, attention to detail and a willingness to bare your heart to others. It is also therapeutic and can help you learn about yourself. Prepare all of your writing materials and plan your overall writing process. Decide where you want to write. Designate specific times and quiet ...
25 Best Autobiographies to Read in 2024
Karma: My Autobiography by Boy George. For fans of: My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand and Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother and Me by Whoopi Goldberg At times infamous and controversial ...

How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography

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Table of Contents

The Essence of a Spiritual Autobiography

Steps to Compose a Spiritual Autobiography

2. Structuring the Narrative

3. Authentic Expression

4. Exploration of Beliefs and Values

5. Lessons and Growth

6. Connection and Universality

Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography: A Soulful Journey

Sample Spiritual Autobiography

Frequently Asked Question

2. How personal should I get in my spiritual autobiography?

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