ABSTRACT Spiritual and religious development in aging was studied through interviews with 152 adults age 50 and older (n = 152) who described themselves as spiritual and/or religious. Quantitative responses to questions related to perceptions of spirituality and religion showed that a variety of spiritual paths continue to develop with age. On average, participants reported higher levels of spirituality and religiosity with age, including greater certainty in their own beliefs. Paradoxically, participants also reported greater acceptance of others’ beliefs and more comfort with doubt, mystery, and uncertainty. Implications for spiritual competence for professionals working with older adults are provided.

中文翻译：

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一生的精神和宗教之旅：挑战刻板印象

摘要 通过对 152 名 50 岁及以上的成年人（n = 152）的访谈，研究了衰老过程中的精神和宗教发展，这些成年人将自己描述为精神和/或宗教信仰。对与灵性和宗教观念有关的问题的定量回答表明，随着年龄的增长，各种灵性路径不断发展。平均而言，参与者报告说随着年龄的增长，灵性和宗教信仰水平更高，包括对自己的信仰更加确定。矛盾的是，参与者还报告说，他们更能接受他人的信仰，并且对怀疑、神秘和不确定性更放心。提供了对与老年人一起工作的专业人员的精神能力的影响。