Abstract
Spiritual journeys jeals with the development of the self. It is not bound solely to development issues in the area of psychology, but yet extends beyond that area into a complete understanding of the individual. Spiritual journeys occur in all indiviuals; the journey is a universal aspect of life that all people share in common. Spiritual journeys are also, however, unique for each individual. Although we share common parts, we each experience our journeys in an individual and unique manner. The purpose of this paper is to discuss spiritual journeys and learn how they are a part of the lives of individuals, as well as celebrate the journey for its unique effect on each of us. We as people are interested in how we become who we are. The process of becoming as well as understanding the direction in which we are moving is a difficult one to measure. In order to understand the development of self more, the spiritual journey has been broken down into common areas. Spiritual journeys have three common components to them. Through spiritual journeys we learn knowledge of our connection to a higher power, knowledge of our world and how we view it, and knowledge of our purpose in the world. The paper then shows these themes in three figures in history: Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Mahatma Gandhi, respectively. It is shown, by looking at their lives, the common areas of spiritual journey that arise, connecting all three to each other, beyond their own individual courses of action. Although these are very different people, their development is similar; there are foundations of the spiritual journey in each of them. Finally the paper discusses conducted with individuals on the topic of the spiritual journey. These interviews consisted of questions talking about significant events in life, where the individuals saw themselves being at this time, and their own definitions of the spiritual journey. In many ways, the individuals' development connected with that of the historical figures, bringing the universal aspect to spiritual journey evident.
Advisor
Kammer, Charles
Department
Religious Studies
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Robert C., "Spiritual Journeys" (1994). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 6257.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/6257
Publication Date
1994
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 1994 Robert C. Johnson