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The Elusiveness of Identity and Meaning: The Lonely Journey of Henri Nouwen

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Psychobiographical Illustrations on Meaning and Identity in Sociocultural Contexts

Part of the book series: Sociocultural Psychology of the Lifecourse ((SPL))

Abstract

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) was a charismatic Roman Catholic priest, psychologist, academic, public speaker, and spiritual guide. He was one of the most prolific and influential spiritual writers of the previous century. Although he died more than 25 years ago, increasing numbers of followers continue to seek guidance through his literary legacy. There is a wealth of biographical sources that invite research into Nouwen’s life. Despite his success and exceptional talents, the data suggests that his personality, life and career were complex and troubled. Colleagues described him as temperamental, anxious, obsessive, needy, and self-centered. Nouwen was transparent about his shortcomings and strived to live his spiritual life through his personal struggles. This psychobiographical case study used a career development lens to investigate Nouwen’s attempts to establish an identity and give meaning to his existence. The findings indicate that although Nouwen tried out a range of career options, he failed to experience an optimal level of satisfaction or happiness. The study contributes to a number of areas, namely, the legacy of Nouwen, identity and meaning-making in socio-cultural contexts, the career development of extraordinary individuals, and the use of career development theory in psychobiographical research.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Roelf Van Niekerk

  2. Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Claude-Hélène Mayer

  3. Kulturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Claude-Hélène Mayer

  4. Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Paul, J. P. Fouché

Authors
  1. Roelf Van Niekerk
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  2. Claude-Hélène Mayer
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  3. Paul, J. P. Fouché
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Correspondence to Roelf Van Niekerk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Claude-Hélène Mayer

  2. Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Paul, J.P. Fouché

  3. Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Roelf Van Niekerk

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Van Niekerk, R., Mayer, CH., Fouché, P.J.P. (2021). The Elusiveness of Identity and Meaning: The Lonely Journey of Henri Nouwen. In: Mayer, CH., Fouché, P.J., Van Niekerk, R. (eds) Psychobiographical Illustrations on Meaning and Identity in Sociocultural Contexts . Sociocultural Psychology of the Lifecourse . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81238-6_12

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