There can be a number of reasons to embark on the process of soul searching. In many cases, it can be applied to a big life decision, an interpersonal situation, or a moment where you feel overwhelmed. It can also be applied to your life as a whole. Ultimately, the point of soul searching is to find your life purpose, values, and passion. Once you know these things from your core, you are able to apply them to more specific situations or areas of your life while knowing that you are staying true to who you are and what you want. Soul searching defines the strategy and allows you to make decisions and execute tactics that help you stick to it.
The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) has published its first major findings in Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, by Oxford University Press. To order, please visit www.oup.com/us/soulsearching or call 1-800-451-7556. The cost is $25.00. Soul Searching vividly portrays complexity and paradox in the story of contemporary teenage religion. Though widely practiced and positively valued by teens, faith is also de-prioritized and very poorly understood by them. Nonetheless, religion remains a significant force in shaping their lives. More broadly, Soul Searching describes what appears to be a major transformation of faith in the U.S., away from the substance of historical religious traditions and toward a new and quite different faith the book describes as "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." Christian Smith is the principal investigator and director of the National Study of Youth and Religion and Stuart Chapin Distinguished Professor and associate chair of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Melinda Lundquist Denton is the project manager of the NSYR and Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following is a detailed description of Soul Searching along with book reviews from the Oxford University Press website. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist Denton (cloth, 340 pages Jan 2005) Description
In most discussions and analyses of American teenage life, one major topic is curiously overlooked--religion. Yet most American teens say that religious faith is important in their lives. What is going on in the religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers? What do they actually believe? What religious practices do they engage in? Do they expect to remain loyal to the faith of their parents? Or are they abandoning traditional religious institutions in search of a new, more "authentic" spirituality? Answering these and many other questions, Soul Searching tells the definitive story of the religious and spiritual lives of contemporary American teenagers. It reports the findings of The National Study of Youth and Religion, the largest and most detailed such study ever undertaken. Based on a nationwide telephone survey of teens and their parents, as well as in-depth face-to-face interviews with more than 250 of the survey respondents, Soul Searching shows that religion is indeed a significant factor in the lives of many American teenagers. Chock full of carefully interpreted interview data and solid survey statistics, Soul Searching reveals many surprising findings. For example, the authors find that teenagers are far more influenced by the religious beliefs and practices of their parents and other adults than is commonly thought. They challenge the conventional wisdom that many teens today are "spiritual seekers." And they show that greater teenage religious involvement is significantly associated with more positive adolescent life outcomes.Soul Searching reveals the complexity of contemporary teenage religious life, showing that religion is widely practiced and positively valued by teens, but also de-prioritized and very poorly understood by them, yet significant nonetheless in shaping their lives. More broadly, Soul Searching describes what appears to be a major transformation of faith in the U.S., away from the substance of historical religious traditions and toward a new and quite different faith the authors call "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." Reviews
"This book is a landmark study of the religious attitudes and practices of American teenagers. While the study demonstrates that there is a strong correlation between religious commitment and positive social behavior, there are also disturbing trends related to this theologically illiterate generation of teens who primarily think of God as their private butler. The authors offer a number of concrete suggestions in a concluding postscript that will be of value to youth workers and religious communities. Drawing on a national survey of teens and their significant caregivers, as well as several hundred in-depth interviews, this book is the most comprehensive study of teenage religiosity that has ever been done." --Donald E. Miller, author of Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the New Millennium "Soul Searching is a bombshell, and one that is long overdue. It convincingly demonstrates that many of our assumptions about youth and religion in the U.S. are well off the mark. Instead of finding hostility toward religion, we meet young people from every corner of the culture who echo their parents' religiosity to an astonishing degree--but this, as it turns out, is hardly a formula for vibrant faith. Soul Searching puts American religious communities on notice: if religion matters, then we had better stop 'exposing' young people to faith and start teaching it to them. Anyone who lives or works with teenagers simply must read this book. You won't be able to sit still after you do." --Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Theological Seminary and author ofPracticing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church"This is an extremely important book. In presenting the results from the most ambitious national study ever conducted among American teenagers about their religious and spiritual lives, it sheds new light from start to finish. I highly recommend it." --Robert Wuthnow, author of America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity Product Details
340 pages; 2 line illus.; ISBN 0-19-518095-X;
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I think we are all born as our true selves, fully aligned with our souls but as we grow up we encounter situations, experiences, beliefs, and people that add these layers upon layers of excess that obscure this true self. It gets harder and harder for us to connect with it the more we are influenced by the world around us. This limits our happiness and sense of fulfillment. I touch on this in this post on my blog about why you should spend time alone because one of the best ways to reconnect with your true self is to spend more time alone, away from the noises and distractions and influence of the external world.
Whether you're feeling lost, stuck, or simply uninspired, it can be hard to ignore when soul searching needs to take place. But how do you actually get started? To find out, we asked experts about their tips for soul searching, plus what it really means.
As Thrse Cator, embodiment practitioner and founder of Embodied Black Girl tells mbg, soul searching often arises from an inquiry, whether it's a broad question around your overall purpose or something more focused, such as a difficult decision you're facing.
"I see soul searching as a threshold in our lives," Cator says. "It's a crossroad and we're trying to figure out what the right next path is, what the right next decision is, or who are we in the greater scheme of things."
There are a number of reasons someone may feel inclined to do some soul searching, and it can happen numerous times throughout their life. As Yusim explains, people soul search when they need answers, a new direction, or are seeking to understand themselves and their purpose.
As with any kind of search that has to do with psychological and spiritual advancement and development, Yusim says it's often because there's something that feels missing, or people are in some form of emotional pain. "So, soul searching is their way of regaining equilibrium or bringing back what's been missing or has not been aligned," she notes.
Cator and Yusim both recommend meditation for soul searching, as it's an excellent way to both quiet the mind and ask for insight. Just like you can go on a nature walk with an inquiry in mind, Cator notes you can meditate on that same question.
Writing out all of your thoughts and questions on your soul-searching journey is another good way to tap your intuition for insights. Cator recommends free-journaling without censorship, simply allowing yourself to write. Yusim is a fan of journaling too and recommends writing and reflecting on questions like:
It's important to remember that only you truly know what's best for you; however, if you have a group of friends that you trust and admire, and feel they can hold space for you, Cator says you can do a group meditation on your soul-searching inquiries. "You can all go into meditation together," she explains, and then share what came up for each of you.
Similarly, Yusim notes it's not a bad idea to seek the help of a mentor when soul searching. Maybe you speak with an actual mentor or teacher, a mental health professional, or a respected member of your community. You want to look for someone who has deep insight into matters of the soul and can offer you an objective perspective, she says.
In a world that pressures us to have it all together, it can be discouraging to feel like you're "not on track." But according to Cator, we ought to normalize, and even encourage, soul searching. "It's actually really good to reexamine things every now and then, and ask, 'Is this working for me?'" she explains.
And last but certainly not least, try to be patient as you move through this transformation. Soul searching is certainly not a one-and-done process, and it takes time. The initial steps of your soul searching journey are only beginning to prime your subconscious for change, Yusim says, and then you have to "give it time to actually unfold." 006ab0faaa
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