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" Emerging Jewish Young Adults Attracted to Emergent Jewish Spiritual Communities: "
Meyer, Stan
Dzubinski, Leanne
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1107335
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| Doc. No
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TLpq2440988302
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| Main Entry
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Dzubinski, Leanne
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Meyer, Stan
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| Title & Author
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Emerging Jewish Young Adults Attracted to Emergent Jewish Spiritual Communities:\ Meyer, StanDzubinski, Leanne
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| College
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Biola University
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| Date
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2020
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| student score
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2020
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Page No
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391
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| Abstract
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The central question guiding this study was: What are the spiritual journeys of emerging Jewish young adults who become involved in emergent spiritual Jewish communities? Eight emerging Jewish young adults and 5 emergent Jewish communities were studied. Each participant had left their religious upbringing, embarked on a quest for spiritual meaning, discovered their Jewish identity, and become involved in an emergent community. Data were gathered using participant interviews, archival data about the communities, and field observations. Data were analyzed using narrative structural analysis, initial and focused coding. The study found that their journeys followed 8 stages: (a) context, (b) exploration, (c) crisis, (d) encounter, (e) turning point, (f) quest, (g) landing place, and (h) resolution. The first half of their journey was characterized by identity moratoria, conflicts, experimentation, confusion, and setbacks. The last half of their journey was characterized by identity achievement, hopefulness, purposefulness, and optimism. Their Jewish identity developed along multiple axes as a composite of identity domains. Most participants said they left their religious upbringing because they felt it was dogmatic, ethnocentric, or devoid of spiritual meaning. Most participants said they were influenced on their journeys by a desire to find spiritual meaning, engage in social justice, or learn about their Jewish heritage. Most participants said they were attracted to an emergent spiritual community because they felt a connection with the rabbi, like-minded Jewish peers, or their heritage; or they said had experienced God in the community. Moreover, most said that an important part of their community experience was hearing Hebrew prayer, practicing sacred ritual, being a part of an inclusive and diverse community, and being part of a community where they could contribute in a meaningful way. This study adds knowledge about the journeys of emerging Jewish young adults who abandon their religious upbringing and later discover their Jewish identity as emerging adults. Furthermore, it adds knowledge about how Jewish identity develops in emerging young adults, distinct values of emerging Jewish young adults, and some things that attract them to and engage them in spiritual communities.
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| Subject
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Judaic studies
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Social psychology
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Sociology
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