SILVER WINNER OF THE 2026 NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS
A profound exploration into the spiritual beliefs and practices of Seattle's unhoused youth
Soul Woundedness is an intimate, piercing book about everyday life for young adults living on the streets of Seattle. Based on over five years of research and as a participant-observer, Paul Houston Blankenship-Lai presents the personal experiences of "street kids," highlighting how their spiritual beliefs and practices offer them comfort, a sense of community, and a feeling of belonging amidst their struggles. They also demonstrate how spirituality on the streets can alienate people from themselves and the world.
The stories Blankenship-Lai tells here are about how social wounds go soul deep, and how seemingly antireligious spiritual practices, fashioned in an almost unlivable local world, help people create a life still worth living. By paying deep, sustained attention to what spirituality is like on the streets and what difference it makes, Blankenship-Lai uncovers an important, overlooked dimension in the experience and study of homelessness. They invite us to enter these stories and to question how our own spiritual and otherwise practices can help create "a more loving love."
Aimed at a diverse audience, Soul Woundedness is a book not merely to educate but to transform. It is particularly relevant for those interested in spirituality's role in addressing social inequities and underscores the importance of spiritual practices in overcoming adversity and promoting social change, making a compelling case for a world where everyone has a place to call home.

- 211 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
About this book
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Information
Publisher
Fordham University PressYear
2024Print ISBN
9781531508388
9781531508395
Edition
1eBook ISBN
9781531508418
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Prologue
- Note about Quotations
- Introduction
- 1. The Wound of Faith
- 2. The Wound of Rejection
- 3. The Wound of Human Being
- 4. The Wound of God
- 5. The Wound of Love
- Conclusion: A More Loving Love
- Notes
- Bibliography
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access Soul Woundedness by Paul Houston Blankenship-Lai in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Ethics & Moral Philosophy. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.