Abstract
This article focuses on exploring the concept of narrative identity, which has emerged as an integrative concept in various academic fields. Particularly in philosophy and psychology, scholars have claimed that humans are storytellers by nature and tell their stories that develop in them a sense of identity. However, this concept has been criticized by those who have argued that while some people are Diachronic (narrative), some are Episodic (non-narrative). People with an episodic disposition do not or are not able to live a narrative or story of some sort. In order to explore the distinction between Diachronic and Episodic dispositions, I analyze the autobiographical writing of Leo Tolstoy, namely Tolstoy’s personal religious experience presented in William James’ “The Varieties of Religious Experience”. This particular case study demonstrates how an Episodic person can become Diachronic and gain a sense of unity and a sense of self through religious experience. In the end, I argue that Episodic and Diachronic dispositions are not mutually exclusive in an individual’s life, but that individuals may at different points in life experience their lives in one manner or another.
Highlights
Narrative identity refers to the sense of self one forms through the stories one constructs in order to understand who one is and to communicate this sense of self to others.Beginning in adolescence and young adulthood, narrative identities are often understood to be formed through the lived, internalized, and evolving stories by which humans live.The idea that human identity is created through stories, both consciously constructed and those absorbed through the family and culture, has emerged as an integrative concept in academic fields as diverse as philosophy, psychology, theology, anthropology, sociology, political theory, religious studies, psychotherapy, and medicine
The subsequent section explores the development of the psychological narrative identity thesis in personality psychology and developmental psychology based on the work of McAdams
Against Narrativity: Does Everyone Have a Story-Shaped Life?. In his argument against the two narrative identity theses that have been widely accepted in academic fields as diverse as “philosophy, psychology, theology, anthropology, sociology, political theory, literary studies, religious studies, psychotherapy, and even medicine,” Strawson explains that these two perspectives are not logically linked
Summary
Narrative identity refers to the sense of self one forms through the stories one constructs in order to understand who one is and to communicate this sense of self to others. Scholars in theology and religious stories have used narrative identity theories to explain how humans tell and live their stories in close interaction with the stories of a religious tradition (Ganzevoort 2012). I begin by examining closely how scholars in philosophy and psychology have investigated the use of stories to tell us “who we are” and provide us with our sense of self. The analysis of the case study demonstrates how religion provides a resource for Episodics to begin to develop the narrative mode of experiencing life and find a sense of identity in their stories. James’ study of religious experience in “The Varieties” claims that religious experience as a psychological process is “the process of unification” that can bring unity and coherence to the “Episodic” mode of experiencing life
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
