Narrative Therapy and Spiritual Storytelling: A Comparative Study of Literary Narratives and Religious Parables as Tools for Psychological Healing and Moral Education

Abstract

This study explores the intersection between narrative therapy and spiritual storytelling by comparing contemporary literary narratives with religious parables as tools for psychological healing and moral education. Narrative therapy, developed within modern psychology, emphasizes re-authoring personal stories to foster identity, resilience, and empowerment, while religious parables—such as those found in the Qur’an, Hadith, Biblical teachings, and classical fables—have historically provided moral instruction, psychological comfort, and spiritual orientation. Through textual and comparative analysis, the research demonstrates how both secular therapeutic narratives and sacred parables share structural, symbolic, and transformative functions that promote self-reflection, moral reasoning, and emotional healing, despite differing in their ontological grounding and authority. The findings suggest that integrating insights from both traditions enriches therapeutic practice and offers a broader framework for moral pedagogy in pluralistic societies.