Investigating Life-Stories: Personal Narratives in Pastoral Psychology

Abstract

The subject of this article is the meaning of the personal narrative in pastoral practice and research. A hermeneutical, narrative approach is used to explore the nature and function of the personal narrative, and gives insight into the dynamics of pastoral counseling. Narrative approaches are also both possible and valuable for research and counseling. This reflects the new interest in hermeneutics found in Dutch pastoral psychological literature. Implications for research in pastoral psychology are discussed and possibilities for practice are described. The article concludes with a discussion of the hermeneutical approach.