As announced yesterday in my Plans for 2023 post, I’m starting a new reading challenge — primarily for myself, but anyone who is interested is welcome to join. The Spiritual Memoir Challenge (also hosted on The StoryGraph) is intended to help us expand our inner world by reading about the spiritual journeys of others. Exploring the diversity of spiritual traditions and paths is encouraged, as well as finding spirit in some surprising or unexpected places.
What is a spiritual memoir? It’s up to you to decide what that means for you. To me the essence of spirit is freedom, so I am not going to define spirituality for you.
However, I’ll say that for me, the spiritual quest is that which leads us to go beyond mere physical survival and personal gratification, to look for something more, both within us and in the non-material world we experience through our minds and hearts. In a sense all memoirs are spiritual memoirs, perhaps, because any story that doesn’t include some element of that quest will be pretty boring. But I will define a spiritual memoir as one which engages with that “something more” in a purposeful and conscious way. This may mean engaging with one or more religious traditions; it also may mean rejecting religious traditions and seeking to make an independent relationship to moral or epistemological questions. It can also mean focusing on how the spirit approaches us through daily life, in our creative and scientific striving, or in our obstacles and challenges.
I’ve created twelve prompts, but you can also decide how many you want to complete to consider yourself sufficiently challenged, and there is no need to go through them in order. The focus is on true stories, but a bonus prompt has been added for outstanding fiction, as well as one for books about writing as a spiritual or healing practice. I’ll do a periodic check-in to share my own reading and see if there is anyone else who wants to share.
More details:
- To express your intention to join, just leave a comment below.
- The challenge runs through December 21, 2023.
- You can start any time during the year.
- You can read one or more books as part of the challenge, choosing from the prompts below..
- Share your posts or reviews in the quarterly check-in.
- In December, there may be some surprise offerings for those who have stuck with the journey!
- A book that engages with the Hindu tradition – example: Autobiography of a Yogi
- A book that engages with Buddhist tradition – example: The Snow Leopard
- A book that engages with Jewish tradition – example Slow Motion
- A book that engages with Christian tradition – example: The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
- A book that engages with Muslim tradition – example: Unashamed
- A book that engages with Native American tradition – example: The Way to Rainy Mountain
- A book about leaving one tradition (or none) for another (or none) – example: Leaving the Witness
- A book that engages with atheism or agnosticism – example: Faitheist
- A book that engages with spirituality through illness or trauma – example: Black Milk
- A book that engages with spirituality through science or nature – example: Reason for Hope
- A book that engages with the spiritual aspect of travel or journeying – example: Walking the Bible
- A book that draws on any spiritual tradition or experience – example: The Woman Warrior
- Bonus: A work of fiction that draws on any of the above themes – example: The Chosen
- Bonus: A book about the craft of writing spiritual memoir or writing as a healing practice – example: Memoir as Medicine
I’ll have a think about this, Lory, possibly adapting it or making a stab at one or two of the categories. I’ve a couple of titles I’ve had my eye on for a number of years – The Unvarnished Gospels for one, a Richard Dawkins for another – which might fit, but I make no promises!
No promises necessary! If you come across something that fits, it will be great to hear about it.
Interesting choices.
Thanks, they seemed interesting to me!
Oh Lory, this is wonderful and right up my alley. I am actually reading The Autobiography of a Yogi at the moment, I recently bought The Snow Leopard and I have a book on writing and publishing books on spirituality and would love to engage with all the prompts!
I will consider this seriously when I start blogging again.
Synchronicity! I hope we can find a way to compare notes even if you’re not actively blogging.
This is fascinating, what an inspiring idea for a challenge!
I’m so glad you think so! I am looking forward to some exciting journeys this year.
I’m super tempted by this challenge, but I’m already doing so many that I don’t think I can take this one on as well. I’ll be intereted to see what you read for it, though. Good luck!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I hear you about too many challenges. Glad you’re interested in the topic, anyway.
This topic is exactly up my alley. I may not be able to do it every month (I would already be behind for January!) but I will participate as often as I can. I read quite a few books on Buddhism last year that were so fascinating in both nonfiction and fiction, so I’d love to read more in other spiritual traditions this year as well. I believe there is something we can learn from every faith tradition.
That’s why I wanted to make this a focus at some point. As for the challenge, there’s no compulsion to complete all categories as far as I’m concerned, just wanted to give some suggestions for different angles. Any level of participation is welcome. I’m looking forward to a very enlightening year!
I decided to begin with your example. So I’m now about 1/3 of the way into Autobiography of a Yogi. Very interesting!
I’m reading this, too. It’s my second reread. I love this book!
Hm … I appreciate Yogananda’s earnestness and sincerity, and some of his ideas are interesting, but I am having a hard time getting past all the miracles and answered prayers that seem so trivial and arbitrary, cheapening the spiritual journey and turning it into a kind of carnival sideshow. For me it’s all on the one hand too one-sidedly spiritual, and on the other oddly materialistic. I’m missing the middle element that could integrate the two. I am curious what people find so wonderful about the book, although I could imagine Yogananda being an impressive presence in person.
I was unaware of the strong emphasis of miracles in the Hindu religion so this is coming as a surprise to me.
His master Sri Yukteswar addressed the miracles as not really being miracles, but natural phenomena that is possible when you reach a certain level. Jesus said something similar.
In this latest reread I am realizing my attraction to Yogananda is partly based on his desire to know God from a very early age and the roadblocks put in his way by family in which he would not stop seeking. Very relatable to me.
That certainly came through. His devotion is impressive. I think I’m going to have to do a full post about this book so we can discuss it.
I’ve been told over and over I need to write mine. But… Just time and not knowing how to start this has been a block. Don’t know where this will lead but it will be good for me.
I’d encourage you to start somewhere and give it a try, not worrying about how good it is or what anybody else might think. Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew at spiritualmemoir.com has good resources, that encouraged me to get started. Welcome to the journey!