Sacred Stories, Spiritual Tribes : Finding Religion in Everyday Life

"Nancy Tatom Ammerman examines the stories Americans tell of their everyday lives, from dinner table to office and shopping mall to doctor's office, about the things that matter most to them and the routines they take for granted, and the times and places where the everyday and ordinary meet the spiritual. In addition to interviews and observation, Ammerman bases her findings on a photo elicitation exercise and oral diaries, offering a window into the presence and absence of religion and spirituality in ordinary lives and in ordinary physical and social spaces. The stories come from a diverse array of ninety-five Americans -- both conservative and liberal white Protestants, African American Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Wiccans, and people who claim no religious or spiritual proclivities -- across a range that stretches from committed religious believers to the spiritually neutral. Ammerman surveys how these people talk about what spirituality is, how they seek and find experiences they deem spiritual, and whether and how religious traditions and institutions are part of their spiritual lives." -- Publisher's description. Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 12 Preface and Acknowledgments 14 1. In Search of Religion in Everyday Life 20 2. “Spirituality” and “Religion”: What Are We Talking About? 42 3. Spiritual Practices in Everyday Life 75 4. Religious Communities and Spiritual Conversations 110 5. Everyday Life at Home 147 6. Nine to Five: Spiritual Presence at Work 190 7. Everyday Public Life: Circles of Spiritual Presence and Absence 231 8. Bodies and Spirits: Health, Illness, and Mortality 269 9. Spiritual Tribes: Toward a Sociology of Religion in Everyday Life 307 Appendix 1. Participants and Their Religious Communities 324 Appendix 2. Coding and Analyzing Stories 328 Appendix 3. Research Protocols 332 Notes 342 Bibliography 360 Index of Participants (By Pseudonym) 386 A 386 B 386 C 386 D 386 E 386 F 386 G 386 H 386 J 387 K 387 L 387 M 387 N 387 O 387 P 387 R 387 S 387 T 387 U 387 V 387 W 387 Y 387 Z 387 General Index 388 A 388 B 388 C 389 D 389 E 390 F 390 G 390 H 390 I 391 J 391 K 391 L 391 M 391 N 392 O 392 P 393 Q 393 R 393 S 394 T 395 U 395 V 395 W 395 Y 395