Context as co-creator in spiritual life stories: the contextual nature of South African adolescents’ spiritual identity development

This study explored spiritual identity development in a sample of South African adolescents, by considering how the participants perceived and experienced their spirituality, as well as how these meaning-making experiences contributed to their identity development. Twelve adolescent participants were purposively sampled and participated in semi-structured interviews and reflective writing exercises. The themes that emerged from the analysis alluded to the importance of relationships and context. The roles of parents, peers, the educational environment, and geographical location were emphasised. Participants explored and committed to their spiritual identities through processes of personal reflection, discussion, and modelling. Spiritual development is thus a reciprocal and bidirectional process between the unique individual and context. Spiritual identity development is a fluid process that evolves and grows in connections and relationships with others. Personal, cultural, and contextual factors are thus important in the co-creation of individuals’ spiritual life stories.