Complete the Biographical Data Sheet (do not need to record this process).
Lead Statement when beginning recording
This is __________________________. I am interviewing _______________________. We are
conducting this interview at (give location, i.e., in her home in ______________, Missouri). The date is
______________________. This interview is for The Religious Lives of Ozarks Women Archives,
conducted through Missouri State University in Springfield, MO.
POSSIBLE Interview Questions: (You will be asked to form a list of questions that seem appropriate for
your subject and time-frame. You may wish to re-word these, write different or additional questions, or
delete some of these questions.)
1. To begin with, let’s talk about an overview of your spiritual or religious journey.
a) What religion, if any, were your parents?
b) What was your religious involvement or practice like as a young child?
How do you think that influenced your thinking?
c) in your teen years? How do you think that influenced your thinking?
d) as an adult? How do you think that influenced your thinking?
2. Would you tell me about any other significant events or changes in your spiritual/religious journey?
3. What is it that you feel makes you religious?
4. Who or what has been the greatest influence on your religiosity / spirituality? In what ways?
5. How do you think being a woman has affected your religious / spiritual life?
6. How would you compare your faith or spirituality with your parents?
How are you different?
How are you similar?
Would you say religion is more important to you than it was/is to your parents? Or less?
Why do you think this is?
7. Have religious organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.) been a part of your spiritual
journey?
If so…What organizations/churches/synagogues/mosques have you been involved in?
As they mention each organization they’ve been involved in, before they move to the next, ask:
In what ways were you involved in that group?
How did you end up being involved in that way?
What did you like about being part of that group?
What was encouraging to you in that group?
Was anything discouraging to you about being a part of that group? What? Why?
8. Were there times you were not involved at all in religion?
If so, do you mind sharing why that was the case?
What brought you back?
What was different for you when you came back?
9. Think about ____________ (the most recent week day):
Did you do any specific thing that had to do with spirituality or religion?
What exactly did you do?
Why do you do this?
What does it give you?
10. In what ways does spirituality enter or influence your daily life?
your thinking?
11. What is most significant to you about your religious life?
12. What do you wish or long for in your religious life?
13. If a younger person were asking you to give a few pieces of advice about religion, what pieces of
advice would you give?
14. Is there anything else you would like to share or add?
If your subject has been involved in leadership in her religion:
How did you become a leader within your religion?
Describe your leadership role.
Did you have any women role models or mentors? Who were they? What did they contribute to your
development?
Did you face any resistance because you were a woman? Do you mind sharing what that was like?
How did you respond to the resistance?
Do you think there are things you might be able to do within your religion if you were not a woman?
What do you think a woman uniquely brings to religious leadership? Different from what men bring?