In a groundbreaking book that interweaves twenty years of case studies and research in the field of aging with an exhaustive knowledge of psychology, religion, and literature, Dr. Harry R. Moody, cofounder and director of the Brookdale Center on Aging, reveals the spiritual passages that the vast majority of us encounter in life and the opportunities those spiritual stages offer us in achieving a sense of inner fulfillment.

At some point in our lives, most of us begin to question what life is all about, what the purpose of our existence is. The first of the passages in our spiritual life often arises as the result of the death of a parent or other loved one, the birth of a child, or any number of life-changing events that force us to rethink who and what we are. Described as The Call, for some it may lead back to traditional religion, for others to good works in the community, still others turn to mysticism. The Call is an opportunity to reflect on one's inner life, to explore and fulfill a deeper part of oneself. But heeding The Call is just the first step. In The Five Stages of the Soul, Dr. Moody goes on to identify the four additional spiritual stages most of us go through on the quest for inner fulfillment, interweaving the psychology of spiritual development with insights from Western and Eastern spiritual masters to illuminate our passage through the labyrinth of life.

Written in richly textured narrative that constantly inspires as it offers a detailed road map of our spiritual lives, The Five Stages of the Soul isreminiscent in its approach of the best work of M. Scott Peck and Thomas Moore.