Narrative learning is strongly allied with transformational learning and adult development (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007), given that it creates context for adult meaning making. Through the use of narrative writing, adult students have the opportunity to engage multiple aspects of learning. Many colleges and universities allow…

Women of color, especially Black women, are underrepresented in the extant literature and research of adult development and mind, body, spirit leadership. This in-depth qualitative portraiture study explored the lives of three Black women who have been leading their communities as adult educators of mind, body, spirit practices. This examination…

The purpose of this study was to increase an understanding of spirituality's place in the holistic adult adjustment of new faculty members during their transitional years at a public research university. Many have been concerned about the sense of fragmentation experienced in the academy and have called for cultural reforms of the conditions that…

Introduces the faith development paradigm of James Fowler, describing six stages of faith development: intuitive-projective faith, mythic-literal faith, synthetic-conventional faith, individuating-reflective faith, conjunctive faith, and universalizing faith. Reviews one research project in which Fowler's paradigm was applied to older adults.…

Describes psychological perspectives on spiritual development within cultural contexts. Recommends that adult educators acknowledge the search for meaning, recognize adult learning is intended to nurture the soul, and become aware of how humans construct knowledge through images and symbols. (SK)

Describes a workshop which addresses itself to the intersection of mid-life changes and faith development, designed for adults engaged in rethinking religious values and for religious leaders responsible for helping adults grow spiritually. (SK)

Theories and studies of adult development are largely confined to adult male career development and ignore a moral or faith dimension of adult development. To determine the faith and moral dimension of adult couples, three hypotheses were examined, i.e.,: (1) religion is a significant dimension in their consciousness; (2) the family is integrally…

How do we teach and learn, knowing that adults are complex, connected individuals who want to change but also want to maintain continuity of the Self? (Contains 1 figure.)

This volume presents materials related to a symposium that addressed adult faith development. Chapters 1 and 2 provide background information on this topic and an overview of the symposium. Chapter 3 contains the hypotheses paper by Charles Bruning and Kenneth Stokes that was the basic document of the symposium. It provides a review of the…

This report presents findings of a study of a variety of factors relating the processes of aging and faith development among adults. Part I is an overview of the entire study. The introduction (chapter 1) provides its setting. Chapter 2 delineates the project's overall structure and its use of two complementary research designs to gather similar…

In this article, the author suggests it is possible for older persons to renew community connections with storytelling and, through this means, to ask some compelling questions. The answers to these questions provide a sense of meaning and purpose for a life well lived.

The author describes gerotranscendence as a process that occurs when older adults shift from a rational focus on the present-day, material world to a more universal and transcendent perspective. Accompanying this shift is a desire to move toward the end of life with a sense of integrity and acceptance of one's choices. By gaining an understanding…

This chapter serves as a review of the nature of transitions confronting adult learners and points to applications and strategies for anticipating coming changes.

Until very recently, with the exception of adult religious education, spirituality has been given little attention in mainstream academic adult education. This may be because spirituality is difficult to define and can be confused with religion. The subject of spirituality is currently a theme in workplace and human resource development…

This book explores how spirituality intersects with the lives of adult educators and trainers. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) spirituality's role within the context of adult education and training and defining spirituality (the original spiritual purpose of adult education, as illustrated in the history of the Chautauqua,…