Spiritual autobiography meaning

Spiritual autobiography is a genre of non-fiction prose that dominated Protestant writing during the seventeenth century, particularly in England, particularly that of Dissenters.

The narrative generally follows the believer from a state of damnation to a state of grace; the most famous example is perhaps John Bunyan's Grace Abounding (1666). The first known spiritual autobiography is Confessions by Augustine of Hippo, or St.

Augustine, which stands to this day as a classic when studying this genre.

Spiritual autobiography meaning

Structure

Because so many autobiographies were written, they began to fall into a predictable pattern. The "formula" began with a sinful youth, "followed by a gradual awakening of spiritual feelings and a sense of anxiety about the prospects for one's soul."^[1] The person would repent, fall again into sin, repent, and sin again; such cycles could last for years.

The Bible was often a source of comfort or fear during this time. Finally, th