Abstract
While research efforts have been devoted largely to priestly identity in the priesthood, it is surprising that there is little academic scholarship on identity research prior to entering seminary as a stage of vocation discernment to priesthood. This paper attempts to bridge the research gap by investigating the ongoing process of engaging in “identity work” of a prospective seminarian through life history research coupled with a dialogic approach. Adopting a narrative research paradigm and drawing on the sociological lens of Foucault’s four axes of ethics, this paper theorizes the experience from spiritual formation to vocation discernment of Lee, a Hong Kong Chinese Catholic, to engage in identity work. Adapting Clarke’s (2009) diagram for doing teacher identity work, I expand the model across professions from teachers(-to-be) to seminarians(-to-be) to expound on the reflexive process of accepting, resisting and being in-between in Lee’s narratives of calling. I postulate that ongoing discursive identities of seminarians(-to-be) are contingent upon an iterative process of constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing a myriad of capacities to harbor hope for being more accommodating and understanding. I also argue that engaging in identity work is crucial for seminarians(-to-be) to maximize their continuous potential for priestly formation. As religion and spirituality are key facets of understanding social life, this paper contributes to research studies in seminary education by drawing on interpretive sociological methods as an alternative research paradigm.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Religious Commonalities and Differences
KEYWORDS
Identity, Foucault, Seminarian, Spiritual Formation, Vocation Discernment, Ethics, Hong Kong
