Spirituality And Aging

Description

A spiritual life, one focused on personal growth and deep human experience, is a major focus and motivator for people over the age of forty. Yet there is a marked lack of rigorous academic study of spirituality's importance in the lives of aging people. Noted gerontologist Robert C. Atchley remedies this problem by developing complex concepts and language about spirituality. "Spirituality and Aging" incorporates material from two decades of interviews, observations, study, and reflection to illustrate ways of thinking about and discussing spirituality - what it is, why it is important, and how it influences the experience of aging. This book provides a nuanced view of spirituality and the richness it brings to the lives of older people. The book is divided into three sections, with the first providing basic frames of reference for examining spirituality and aging, such as the nature of spirituality, spiritual development, and the spiritual self.

Reviews

"Atchley's book is an enormous, and unprecedented, contribution to the field. The book will be very important, and he's absolutely the best person to write it." - Harry R. Moody, Director, Office of Academic Affairs, AARP "This is a wise and important work that could make a difference in the way aging persons, and gerontologists, think about spirituality and aging." - Susan H. McFadden, The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh"

Author description

Robert C. Atchley is a distinguished professor of gerontology emeritus at Miami University, Ohio, where he also served as the director of the Scripps Gerontology Center. Professor Atchley is the author of Social Forces and Aging and of Continuity and Adaptation in Aging: Creating Positive Experiences, also published by Johns Hopkins.