Spiritual Development: New Directions for Youth Development, Number 118

Drawing on the global research and field-building efforts of SearchInstitute?s Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood andAdolescence, this volume frames a new, deeper dialogue about theintersections between youth development and spiritual development.Contributors explore ways to integrate spiritual development andyouth development in order to strengthen theory, research, andpractice. They ask:

1. How do young people develop their deepest, fundamentalcommitments?
2. How do they find their place in their family, community, world,and universe?
3. How do they come to terms with issues of meaning, purpose, andidentity beyond themselves?

These are, at their core, spiritual development questions. Theyare also critical issues in adolescent development. They are thewellspring of some of the best within young people and humanity,and the source of some of the greatest atrocities in society whenthe answers lead to alienation, hatred, or violence.

The past decade has seen an explosion in interest in spiritualdevelopment within youth development and related fields. Nationalyouth-serving systems are beginning to ask how they can effectivelyaddress these questions in a society that has become increasinglydiverse and pluralistic. And the growth of positive,community-based youth development provides a platform for examiningthese issues within the context of an overall commitment tohealthy, holistic development among all young people. This volumeis a valuable addition to the field.

This is the 118th volume of New Directions for YouthDevelopment, the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series dedicatedto bringing together everyone concerned with helping young people,including scholars, practitioners, and people from differentdisciplines and professions. The result is a unique resourcepresenting thoughtful, multi-faceted approaches to helping ouryouth develop into responsible, stable, well-rounded citizens.

Peter L. Benson is president of Search Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a codirector of its Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence.

Eugene C. Roehlkepartain is vice president of Search Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a codirector of its Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescences.

Kathryn L. Hong is senior projects manager at Search Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota.