Spirituality in the 'polis' in light of W. Shakespeare’s and J.R.R. Tolkien’s non-religious fiction narrative as a case study for spiritual growth in young adults

Abstract

Story-telling is a phenomenon that may be observed throughout history and among all cultures. Yet, in Western society following the shift from the Middle Ages to Modernity, stories although still present, seem to have lost some of their influence on the formation of knowledge, be it knowledge of society, knowledge of nature or knowledge of God. This dissertation seeks to shed light on the influence of fiction on the spiritual growth of young adults. The premise is that a sound spirituality is not only an interior dynamic between the soul and God, but a dynamic wherein context plays a very important role. Fiction stories are presented as being means to gain insight into both self and context and the interplay between the two. Some of the works of W. Shakespeare and J. R. R. Tolkien were offered as cases to two focus groups made up of young adults, who were invited to share their insights on the texts and how these relate to their life. Through induction, the researcher could arrive at conclusions, not only as to how young adults engage with fiction but also how to such engagement may benefit spiritual growth. In essence, this benefit lies in the recognition of the link between fiction stories written by others and our own life stories, co-authored between God and the self, and which in turn are inserted into the Grand Narrative, or Providence, of God.