“This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Eschewing simplistic approaches, DeGloma brings a full arsenal of tools from cultural sociology, ritual theory, moral philosophy, and semiotics to develop a rich account of awakening narratives. For anyone interested in autobiographical accounts and the roles they play in social life, Seeing the Light is the book to read.” 

Robert Wuthnow | Princeton University

“Seeing the Light is a fascinating study of a class of public stories that Thomas DeGloma calls awakening narratives—autobiographical accounts of religious conversion, political transformation, identity alteration, and the like. While some of these types have been studied in isolation, DeGloma shows how such stories, recounting a fundamental change of mind and heart and at first glance seemingly unrelated, not only share a common narrative structure but play formally similar roles in society. Lucidly written, tightly-organized, and richly illustrated, Seeing the Light is a remarkable achievement.”

Joseph E. Davis | University of Virginia

“Individual epiphanies that awaken the self to a new world seem unique and ineffable. Yet DeGloma shows us how our narratives of awakening are patterned and generic as we recount them in autobiographical communities. Seeing the Light sheds its own masterful light on autobiography and autobiographical narrative. Anyone interested in the dynamic nature of the relation of self and society should read this book.”

Robin Wagner-Pacifici | The New School for Social Research

"Stories of personal transformation are all around us. Seeing the Light excavates the timeless logic of their deep meaning structures. At the same time DeGloma shows them to be socially grounded in specific communities of interpretation, solidarity and contention. As such this important book suggests new and much needed paths for connecting cultural sociology to the study of the self."

Philip Smith, Yale University

“Seeing the Light is well written and makes a compelling case for sociologists with a wide range of interests to pay attention to awakening narratives and autobiographical work more generally. For scholars already working in the areas of narrative identity and narrative analysis, the book contributes a careful analysis of awakening narratives and the awakening story formula as particular (and particularly important) types of narratives. More broadly, the particular types of awakening narratives and autobiographical communities discussed throughout the book provide relevant insights for the study of religion, trauma and mental health, sexuality, political ideology, social movements, and more.”

American Journal of Sociology