The relationship between personal and collective identity: A narrative analysis of a campus ministry community

Analyzed the community narrative of a student religious community using par ticipant observation, structured interviews, and document analysis. Themes of the narrative included the value of accepting others' differences as div ersity, the value of creating and building places where people feel "at hom e, " the importance of personal growth through asking open and honest quest ions, and healing past hurt. Social organization and processes in the campu s ministry reflected these narrative themes, indicating the translation of the narratives into practice. Personal stories told by individual members a lso reflected reflected these, suggesting that community narratives are a p owerful psychological resource used by members to develop and maintain pers onal identity. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.