The Spiritual Narratives of Adoptive Parents: Constructions of Christian Faith Stories and Pastoral Theological Implications

• Main Author: Fraser, Ryan Noel
• Other Authors: Nancy J. Gorsuch
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: Texas Christian University 2011
• Subjects: Brite Divinity School
• Online Access: http://etd.tcu.edu/etdfiles/available/etd-03212011-163416/

In this dissertation, I present the research findings of my interviews conducted with twenty Christian adoptive couples. I explore the narratives of their adoptive parenting experiences, primarily focusing on the ways that adopting children affects the parents' spirituality and theological understandings. Furthermore, I investigate adoptive parenthood as a spiritually challenging and formative experience. In this study, the broader descriptive notion of "narrative" is utilized as a hermeneutical approach that crosses disciplines. The primary lenses through which I view the adoption stories include canonical narrative theology and adoption literature from the social sciences in addition to narrative psychology. I delineate and discuss four central categories that emerge from the raw narrative data by means of grounded theory, including the following: (1) systemic evil that militates against adoption, (2) divine initiative and love, (3) spiritual struggles, and (4) faithful human response. Finally, I suggest pastoral theological reconstructions of adoptive parenthood as well as implications for pastoral theology, pastoral care and counseling, and the practice of ministry.